Over the past few years there has been a renewed interest in music of the 90’s and few bands illustrate the era of 90’s college alternative radio better than Gin Blossoms. The band has recently started another leg of the tour celebrating the recent 25th anniversary of their breakthrough record, 1992’s New Miserable Experience.
I recently had the opportunity to talk with founding member, guitarist and songwriter Jesse Valenzuela as the band prepares for a sold out show at Bowery Ballroom in New York.
On what fans can expect for the show – We play the whole record from top to bottom and then we’ll play another handful of songs. That record is only about 38 minutes long, it goes pretty quick and we’ll play our notable songs and maybe some new songs.
On the fans that come out to the show – I think it’s pretty much fans from back in the day…you see kids at the summertime festivals. Sometimes you catch the 30 year olds.
On celebrating the 25th anniversary of their breakthrough – We did a tour a year ago in the fall and we weren’t able to get back east with it. They kept calling for more shows in some of the cities we didn’t get to so we fired up the machinery again.
I’m in Baltimore right now, then Pennsylvania, upstate (NY) then down to New York City, Boston and Connecticut.
On the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame – I don’t see the Gin Blossoms there, I don’t know if we have the perceived gravitas to be in the Hall of Fame. The Seattle sound was so strong and so pervasive (in the 90s) and we weren’t part of that.
On his expectations 25 years ago – I knew I was going to be a musician for the rest of my life.
As we spoke, I mentioned that I first saw the band on August 23, 1992 in New Haven, CT, less than three weeks after the release of New Miserable Experience. Jesse not only remembered that the show was on a Sunday night, but also what hotel the band stayed in and that they had dinner with the A&M label rep that evening!
Be sure to check out the Gin Blossoms live, presented by SiriusXM Lithium:
Friday 08 February 2019
Baltimore’s Sound Stage, Baltimore, MD, US
Saturday 09 February 2019
Parx Casino, Philadelphia, PA, US
Sunday 10 February 2019
Center for the Arts of Homer, Homer, NY, US
Monday 11 February 2019
The Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY, US
Wednesday 13 February 2019
Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA, US
Friday 15 February 2019
Foxwoods Casino & Resort, Mashantucket, CT, US
Saturday 16 February 2019
The State Theatre, Falls Church, VA, US
Sunday 17 February 2019
Bogarts, Cincinnati, OH, US
Thursday 21 February 2019
Delmar Hall, St Louis, MO, US
Friday 22 February 2019
House of Blues – Chicago, Chicago, IL, US
Saturday 23 February 2019
Mercury Ballroom, Louisville, KY, US
Sunday 24 February 2019
The Vogue Theatre, Indianapolis, IN, US
Tuesday 26 February 2019
The Underground, Charlotte, NC, US
Wednesday 27 February 2019
Music Farm, Charleston, SC, US
Thursday 28 February 2019
House of Blues, Lake Buena Vista, FL, US
Sunday 03 March 2019
Sanjan Theater at Southwest Performing Arts Center, Bonita Springs, FL, US
Monday 04 March 2019
Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, US
Tuesday 05 March 2019
The Buckhead Theatre, Atlanta, GA, US
Thursday 07 March 2019
Scoot Inn, Austin, TX, US
Friday 08 March 2019
Aztec Theatre, San Antonio, TX, US
Saturday 09 March 2019
House of Blues – Houston, Houston, TX, US
