The Gaslight Anthem
South Side Ballroom
Dallas, Texas
Photos and article by Daniel Martinez
In 2013 I was skipping through songs on the Pandora Radio app when I ran into the hour skipping limit. A sanction that forced me to listen to the following songs. One of them was “45” by The Gaslight Anthem. Little did I know that such limitation would kick open the door to a band that easily became one of my top 5. Ironically their last tour took place the same month that I started photographing concerts so I never got to document the band as a whole. Nine years later The Gaslight Anthem announced they were getting back together, and we have finally came full circle. As soon as the band announced the 2023 North American tour and started teasing fans by dropping audio snippets of their latest single, “Positive Charge,” I knew I was going to be at the South Side Ballroom with or without my camera.
Fast forward to May 3rd, 2023, Dallas was ready for the return of The Gaslight Anthem. Storming to the stage as the thunderous Dallas crowd cheered, kicking off the show with “American Slang.” Proceeding into “Handwritten,” one of the fan favorites from the 2012 album release with the same name. Third song on the setlist was the latest single, “Positive Charge.” From the moment I first listened to it I fell in love with. To me it felt like a love letter from the band to the fans after the the long time they were absent. The song was well received by the live crowd at the ballroom. Another personal favorite that the natives from New Jersey performed was “Halloween.” A track that was exclusive to the deluxe version of Get Hurt. “Halloween” was just one of the 20 songs in the massive setlist, a setlist that was cut short the previous night due to the strict curfew of the venue. Fortunately Dallas didn’t suffer from that issue and they gave us a full setlist with some song changes.
A small pause, Brian tells the crowd that so far he’s enjoying the band’s journey through Texas, but is upset that he didn’t get to ride “those fake horses and fall over.” He also went on to tell a funny story of how he was able to get Ryan Bingham tickets to Bruce Springsteen on Broadway, the band proceeded on playing “Great Expectations,” the crowd erupted. Brian Fallon brought out Emily Wolfe to perform “Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts” followed by an incredible cover of “Time” by Pink Floyd. They closed the show with one of their most popular and beloved songs, “The ‘59 Sound,” a song that sent everyone home happy. An incredible performance. Despite the long hiatus the band hasn’t lost a beat. From the vocals, to the guitar riffs, everything that The Gaslight Anthem was is still there. I personally can’t wait for their new album, if the new single is a sign of the things that are to come, then I’m sure the album will be among the best TGA albums.
Setlist
American Slang
Handwritten
Positive Charge
Meet Me by the River’s Edge
Biloxi Parish
Halloween
1,000 Years
Mae
Great Expectations
Here Comes My Man
The Patient Ferris Wheel
Boomboxes and Dictionaries
Too Much Blood
Here’s Looking at You Kid
Mulholland Drive
Howl
45
Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts
Time
The ’59 Sound
