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| Ryan Bingham and the Texas Gentlemen at the Wellmont |
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| Ryan Bingham and Brian Fallon at the Wellmont |
MUSICAL VIBE:
Drinking tequila with your sweetheart by a romantic campfire after a hard day that life threw at you. Or, alternatively, a good time with your boys at the local bar.
CROWD VIBE:
Both shows were fairly civilized compared to what I’m used to at other shows. Fans seemed like people who just wanted a good time with no interest in starting any trouble. Respectful of space aka no shoving to get down front.
SETLIST:
Night 1 (Port Chester, NY): https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/ryan-bingham-and-the-texas-gentlemen/2026/capitol-theatre-port-chester-ny-3756d07.html
Night 2 (Montclair, NJ): https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/ryan-bingham-and-the-texas-gentlemen/2026/wellmont-theater-montclair-nj-1b7575c0.html
HIGHLIGHTS:
Somehow I missed the announcement that the evening would be all Ryan Bingham and the Texas Gentlemen, so that was pretty cool. I’ve only seen Lucero be their own opening act in the past. It makes for a marathon of a night, but there’s no problems there if you’re a fan who cared enough to come out and see the show. What this meant was that the show started around 8pm and they played about the length an opener would have (around an hour I think). Then there was an intermission during which they played a home video while other people’s music played over the loudspeakers. After about a half hour or so, the band came back out on stage for the second set.
I would personally describe Ryan’s music as Modern Country, much more than what I see on the Country Music specials a lot (where it tends to sound like Pop with Southern accents to me). There’s just something more authentic about his style musically and about the way it’s delivered. I would say he deserves to fill stadiums, but given the bills for shows lately, I am glad to see him theaters like the Capitol and Wellmont.
I loved that Ryan and his Texas Gentlemen opened up each block of the show with covers. For part one, “Roadhouse Blues” by the Doors and for part two, “Whipping Post” by The Allman Brothers Band. He also covered “Free Fallin’” by Tom Petty, “Loving Cup” by the Rolling Stones and “Baby Don’t You Do It” by The Band. All were great, and Ryan and his band did a great job. Though I wouldn’t think I’d hear a few of those at (again, my label) a Country show, the covers fit right in with the rest of his music. It reminded me of how influences show up in different forms across different genres.
A special bonus was that during his first set at the Wellmont, he brought out The Gaslight Anthem’s Brian Fallon and musician Emily Wolfe, who Brian has toured with and seems to consider her a true friend going by their posts on social media (they got matching “OZZY” tattoos for our beloved Prince of Darkness).
CONCLUSION:
I almost stuck to only going to the Capitol show, but I went to the Montclair because a couple of friends would be there and I enjoyed Friday so much that I thought I could use another hit. I’m glad I did so for the social aspect, but also because the setlist was slightly different. “Sunshine” ended up being a highlight on Sunday and Friday night, “Bluebird” was great. So I was glad for that too. And, of course, getting to see Brian as he is one of my favorite musicians and The Gaslight Anthem is an all time favorite band!
For videos/more photos, see my Instagram posts:
