Their newest drummer Scott Hessel, who joined in 2012 and looks a lot like Dave Grohl, pounded out some good rhythms. Overall, it was a solid set and the band played well. The encore included “29” and the cover “A Million Miles Away.” The band closed out the set with “Till I Hear It From You” and the always popular “Hey Jealousy” one of maybe three songs the band still gets airplay on local radio. Wilson finally managed to get the crowd back on their feet with the fun “I’m Ready” but it didn’t last long once “Wave Bye Bye” got going despite more great vocals.

The band returned to their breakthrough album with “Lost Horizons” and “Allison Road” before stringing off three straight from No Chocolate Cake starting with the upbeat, but a bit silly, “Dead or Alive on the 405” which even Wilson said at the end, “I don’t understand the meaning of that song.” “Learning the Hard Way,” one of many gems off of 2006’s Major Lodge Victory, but sadly the only tract played from the album, brought another rocking Valenzuela solo and a solid jam from everyone on stage. The anguishing “Until I Fall Away” displayed Wilson’s heartbreaking vocals at their finest but the pace proved too slow for this audience to stand. The always fantastic “Found Out About You” from their multi-platinum New Miserable Experience brought the crowd back to its feet which solicited Wilson’s first comment about the audience mailing in their excitement. Wilson brought the acoustic out for “As Long As it Matters” but guitarist Jesse Valenzuela stole the spotlight on this one with some great soloing. The band from Tempe, AZ opened with “Follow You Down” from 1996’s Congratulations I’m Sorry and tapped into their latest album No Chocolate Cake, now more than four years old, with “Somewhere Tonight” and “Miss Disarray” during which the audience took to the seats and stuck a lot of the show’s energy under their chairs. Granted Gin Blossoms’ music isn’t hard-charging rock but, hey, it’s still the Gin Blossoms. NOTE: For a review of the 25 Miserable Years Tour click here.Ī rather lazy crowd greeted the Gin Blossoms first show of 2015 on Friday at the Snoqualmie Casino in Snoqualmie, WA where the band played a 16-song, 90 minute set in front of about 600 people.Ī large portion of those in attendance remained seated for much of the concert including folks in the front rows which even singer Robin Wilson tried, mostly unsuccessfully, to get to their feet throughout the course of the show.

Concert at snoqualmie casino