There’s a panic on the streets of Allston this week, but that’s not stopping Gooseberry from bringing a “Panic!” of their own to O’Brien’s Pub tonight (August 10). The bluesy indie rock trio heads our way from New York City to kick off a late-summer tour in support of forthcoming EP Validate Me, out August 25 via and last month’s lively single “Panic!” gives a good impression of what we can expect on Harvard Avenue.
“‘Panic!’ is a heartbreak song, but also a song of hope — and perhaps the foolishness of hope as a premise,” says Gooseberry guitarist and vocalist Asa Daniels. “The song started as a line that I had written down and kept coming back to: ‘This ain’t no love, it’s a panic attack’. Anyone who has experienced either can relate to that line.”
Daniels breaks it down a bit further: “The tune barrels forward with a hypnotic march, almost akin to your heart pounding in your ears. The B sections, just like hope and love, flip this script: Anxious feelings dissipate and a daydream-like atmosphere emerges, as though your head were in the clouds. A crowd-favorite, this song allows Gooseberry to flex their musical chops, moving in and out of various styles from rock to jazz to disco.”
After tonight’s twirl at O’Brien’s, Gooseberry head north for a pair of additional New England gigs — Saturday (August 12) at Free Street in Portland, Maine; and Sunday (August 13) at The Press Room in Portsmouth, New Hampshire — before hitting Canada. They circle back home with a string of shows that lead to an August 25 EP release show at Bowery Ballroom in NYC, before continuing on.
Get all their dates here, catch Gooseberry in the dives and clubs while we still can (they might not be playing small venues for long), and absorb their infectious dose of “Panic!” below.
GOOSEBERRY + JACK WEST + THE SHIRTS & SHOES :: Thursday, August 10 at O’Brien’s Pub, 3 Harvard Ave. in Allston, MA :: 9 p.m., 21-plus, $15 :: Info and tickets