Gaslight Anthem & Cory Branan @ The Fillmore

I was surprised to walk into the Fillmore to see the place not even half full and areas curtained off.  It was only 14 months ago Gaslight Anthem played here and filled the place.  Regardless, I walked in right at the beginning of Cory Branan's set and he was on fire.  Not your typical singer-songwriter, Branan's off beat / odd tempo acoustic performance was outstanding.  He said he was playing a new guitar and was having difficulty adjusting, yet besides restarting one song, I thought he was great.  Stand out songs were Prettiest Waitress In Memphis and A Girl Named Go.

I was stoked when Gaslight Anthem came out and started off with 59 Sound, but the song sounded tired, like they were going through the motions.  This is a shame cause this is a top 25 favorite of mine.  Given the set did pick up after that with High Lonesome being the highlight until the encore.  In the encore, back to back songs, Great Expectations and a fantastic cover of House Of The Rising Sun, were great.  This was probably the least energetic of the 5 Gaslight shows I've seen, but still a great one all the same.  I'd be happy to go and see them again if they came through Charlotte again.

The Crap Facts:
This is my 372nd concert.
This is my 8th concert at The Fillmore.
This is my 23rd concert in Charlotte.
This is my 24th concert in North Carolina.
This is my 180th concert in the USA.
Cory Branan is the 438th band I've seen.
This is my 5th Gaslight Anthem concert.