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 Big Head Todd and the Monsters |
 Gin Blossoms |
 Gin Blossoms |
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Review and photos by Frances Sealy The Gin Blossoms opened their "Mixed Reality Tour" at the AVA Amphitheatre in Tucson with a rollicking rock n' roll show that could have pleased even a casual fan. They are co-headlining the tour with Big Head Todd and the Monsters who gave the 'Blossoms' a run for their money with their signature guitar licks that hit the stratosphere.The Gin Blossoms are totally a Phoenix based band that gained popularity in the early nineties with Platinum certified hit albums, New Miserable Experience and Congratulations. . . .I'm Sorry. The band has survived a break up and a suicide of a co-founder of the band. Now Robin Wilson (lead vocals, guitar), Bill Leen (bass), Scott "Scotty" Johnson (guitar), Jesse Valenzuela (guitar), and Scott Hessel (drums) are back again with their first studio album since 2010's No Chocolate Cake. Mixed Reality is a happy, hardy collection of updated jangle rock with clever lyrics, cool harmonies, and gritty guitar that fans have come to expect from the quintet. Five songs from the album were covered from the album while the rest of the show had favorite songs from the past. Wilson introduced their newest single "Break" by asking the crowd to go to their cell phones and looking up their music video on YouTube. He remarked that the video blends two things that they love the most, skateboarding and Arizona. Many of the musicians in the band have been avid skateboarders since the inception of the band and are still going strong. The evening started with Big Head Todd and the Monsters (BHTM), and they lived up to their name by delivering a monster show for over 90 minutes. There was no glitz, glamour, light show, or pyro. It was pure guitar greatness fit for kings. The band released their latest album in November 2017, New World Arisin'. Todd Mohr is the leader of the band, but Brian Nevin, Rob Squires, and Jeremy Lawton gave fans an impeccable performance. This is a blues band with a rock sensibility. Mohr's has many musical influences from Jimi Hendrix, Tom Petty, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, to name a few. He has a particular love for the blues. Fans had their appetites satisfied with great renditions of "Bittersweet," "Please Don't Tell Her," Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On," and "Circles/Hey Joe." Catch these guys when you can. |
| Gin Blossoms Set List: | |
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1. Lost Horizons 2. Long Time Gone 3. Hold Me Down 4. Wonder 5. Until I Fall Away 6. Angels Fly 7. As Long as It Matters 8. Still Some Room in Heaven 9. Cheatin' |
10. Here Again 11. Break 12. Found Out About You 13. Hey Jealousy 14. Til I Hear It From You Encore: 15. Follow You Down 16. Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers cover) |
 Big Head Todd and the Monsters |
 Gin Blossoms |
 Gin Blossoms |
 Gin Blossoms |
 Big Head Todd and the Monsters |
 Gin Blossoms |
 Big Head Todd and the Monsters |
 Big Head Todd and the Monsters |
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