One for the Money, Two for the Show

By Lizz Kannenberg in Arts & Entertainment on Sep 28, 2007 6:30PM

Two Gallants are some weary motherfuckers. Besides the strained, vagabond nature of their music — and the "holy crap, that guy is messed up!" storytelling in Adam Stephens’ serrated, whiskey-choked voice — there’s the black-and-white fact that these San Franciscans have a total of 14 days off between now and the end of the year. Indeed, Stephens and drummer Tyson Vogel seem to be living up to the title of their latest release, The Scenery of Farewell (Saddle Creek).

"Stark" doesn’t even begin to describe the sparseness of Stephens’ guitar and vocals over Vogel’s straightforward, pinpoint drumming; this is desperation in musical form, the kind of sound that encapsulates a certain perspective of life in America. All of the stress of political and economic climates, racial and religious conflicts, environmental concerns, rampant consumerism, greed, commercialization, and the trappings of pop culture fall by the wayside as Two Gallants take listeners back to J.D. Salinger’s America, where grit and merit were sometimes synonymous, and hope was as vast as the open road.

Two Gallants play two shows Saturday at Schubas, all ages at 7:30 and 21+ at 10:30. Tickets are $12.

Photo courtesy the band.