I was twelve years old when I attended my first concert. My older brother had taken me to see my favorite band in the world, Gin Blossoms. This was my first experience with live music, and, even from our lawn seats, I was hooked.
This past Saturday, Gin Blossoms took over Village Park in Kannapolis, NC, for an evening of pure nostalgic bliss. I knew that I couldn't miss this epic event as my musical journey came full circle—photographing the first band that I ever saw live.
Formed in 1987 in Tempe, AZ, Gin Blossoms found local fame rather quickly, but didn't reach the legendary status that they hold today until their first major label release in 1992, New Miserable Experience. The first single, "Hey Jealousy," took the band on a rapid rise to fame. To this day, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who isn't familiar with the song, which largely propelled the success of New Miserable Experience, which ended up going quadruple platinum. Their most recent release, Mixed Reality in 2018, marked the sixth studio album by the pop-rock quintet, which is currently made up of Robin Wilson, Scott Hessel, Jessie Valenzuela, Bill Leen, and Scotty Johnson (not present for this show).
Fast forwarding to the present–Many people, and families, arrived at Village Park hours in advance to claim their spot on the lawn. There were "splash pads", a carousel, and food and beverages to take advantage of in the meantime. By the time Gin Blossoms were ready to play, the tension in the air was palpable. Thousands of eager fans of all ages roared in excitement as the band finally took the stage.
They leapt right into one of their biggest hits, "Follow You Down." The guys were all smiles, and, as vocalist Robin Wilson stated, they were there to "kick ass and chew bubblegum," and they were "all out of bubblegum." The evening was full of a carefully-curated selection of songs spanning their entire career, and there was something for everyone. Finally, closing with a cover of "A Million Miles Away" by The Plimsouls, the Gin Blossoms bid us farewell...until next time.
Be sure to catch Gin Blossoms on their summer tour, starting next month, alongside fellow 90s rockers Toad the Wet Sprocket and Vertical Horizon.
