After nearly four decades of touring, it’s no surprise that the Gin Blossoms are pretty damn good at what they do. Lead singer Robin Wilson estimates that they’ve performed in the ballpark of 4,000 concerts, anchored by immortal 90s hits like “Hey Jealousy” and “Found Out About You.” While the band may be a well-oiled machine at this point, they put on a candid, lively show at Rivers Casino Friday night, filled with the classic songs you know and love, plus a few cuts from their most recent album, 2018’s Mixed Reality, and lots and lots of encouraging the audience to clap along.
Friendly and engaging, Wilson’s banter slipped between self-deprecating and casually confident. “I think it’s going pretty good so far,” he mused at the halfway point. “Sometimes it’s hit or miss. But we’re on it tonight.”
That was an understatement. The “buttload” of songs the band played—Wilson audibly held back from a profanity—were energetically and expertly played by drummer Andy Herrin, bassist Bill Leen, and guitarists Scotty Johnson and Jesse Valenzuela. The solo during “Hold Me Down,” which Wilson highlighted as one of his favorite Gin Blossoms songs in our interview, was especially impressive.
In between offering nifty trivia—did you know that their 1996 song “As Long as it Matters” topped the charts in the Philippines?—Wilson interacted directly with crowd members. Spotting one person in an early Gin Blossoms shirt, he lamented the typo on the back that forced a second run, and also accepted flowers from someone with a cheeky note about how times have changed. “People used to throw marijuana or joints,” he said. “Sometimes we got a bra.”
Though there may have been no exchange of drugs and undergarments, nobody left Rivers Casino disappointed on Friday night.
