New York, NY (Top40 Charts) GIN BLOSSOMS -
Robin Wilson (lead vocals & guitar),
Jesse Valenzuela (vocals & guitar), Scott Johnson (guitar) and Bill Leen (bass) - have unveiled a striking video for "Mega Pawn King," one of the highlights from their 2018 critically acclaimed album album, MIXED REALITY (produced and mixed by Don Dixon and recorded by Mitch Easter). View the video here.
The beautifully panoramic video-premiered yesterday (1/22) by Guitar Player Magazine-was filmed in Arizona and Utah by lead singer
Robin Wilson using GoPro cameras attached to his guitar. These action shots-for which
Robin literally did hundreds of takes-show the rugged landscape of the GIN BLOSSOMS' home state of Arizona from the point-of-view of Robin's guitar. "It was filmed," explains Robin, "on location in three U.S.
National Parks-Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, and Zion
National Parks, while participating in a charity event, Rock The Canyons 2018 with the Love Hope Strength Foundation, a charity that supports people battling cancer. I have been a supporter of LHS since 2009, and with LHS have been twice to the summit of Kilimanjaro and to Everest base camp." Love Hope Strength Foundation
"Mega Pawn King" was written by Gin Blossoms bassist Bill Leen. "This is one of Bill's finest ever songs," says Robin. "In my mind it is a mashup of
R.E.M. and The Rolling Stones. While recording, it became clear this was one of the strongest and most meaningful songs on our album.
While the song has lyrics like "Your declining neighborhood looks beautiful the way it should/Wouldn't change you at all, wouldn't make you brand new," it was filmed in wide open spaces to give the song a different dimension. Says Robin: "I felt lyrics like 'There are places that are fine without me around' lent themselves perfectly to the scenery. On the outro,"
Robin elaborates, "Bill originally had me singing NA NA NA NA, but I told him that I felt it was boring and lazy to sing NA NA's and FA LA LA'S. I suggested we write some lyrics together for the outro, and Bill said something to the effect of "I got this." The lyrics he wrote for the outro-"DON'T RESIST IT. DON'T RESENT IT. DON'T REMEMBER. DON'T FORGET IT"-are among his finest ever and is a great example of bandmates working together and pushing each other to make something great."
Robin adds: I was moved to include a photograph of Bill's handwritten lyrics on the interior of our album cover, and now have them tattooed on my forearm. "
GIN BLOSSOMS recently announced a new leg of U.S. tour dates in 2019, running from February 8 through March 9. Billed as "New Miserable
Experience Live" and presented by the SiriusXM Lithium channel, the tour follows a successful run of dates in 2018 when the band celebrated the 25th anniversary of their multi-platinum album breakthrough album NEW MISERABLE EXPERIENCE by performing it in its entirety, along with other GIN BLOSSOMS classics and more.
The 2019 dates, bringing the band to such cities as New York, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, Austin and Houston, will again raise a glass to the 1992 album that spawned such classic hits as "Hey Jealousy," "Found About You" and "Allison Road." Tickets for the shows are on sale now, and the band has VIP packages available that include a ticket, early entry into the venue, and a private acoustic performance by the band. Details for the VIP packages are available where tickets are sold.
GIN BLOSSOMS, one of the top alt-rock groups of the '90s, recently issued their first new album in eight years, the critically acclaimed MIXED REALITY which is highlighted by such singles/videos as "Break," "Face The Dark" and "Wonder." The band's signature blend of introspective lyrics, ringing guitars and finely etched melodies is as strong as ever throughout the album.
Catch GIN BLOSSOMS' "New Miserable
Experience Live" in these cities:
FRI 2/8 Baltimore, MD Baltimore Sound Stage
SAT 2/9 Bensalem, PA Parx Casino - XCite Center
SUN 2/10 Homer, NY Center for the Arts of Homer
MON 2/11 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
WED 2/13 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club
FRI 2/15 Mashantucket, CT Foxwoods Resort Casino - Fox Theater
SAT 2/16 Falls Church, VA The
State Theatre
SUN 2/17 Cincinnati, OH Bogart's
THU 2/21 St. Louis, MO Delmar Hall (presented by KPNT)
FRI 2/22 Chicago, IL House of Blues
SAT 2/23 Louisville, KY Mercury Ballroom
SUN 2/24 Indianapolis, IN The Vogue
TUE 2/26 Charlotte, NC The Underground - Charlotte
WED 2/27 Charleston, SC Music Farm
THU 2/28 Lake Buena Vista, FL House of Blues
SUN 3/3 Bonita Springs, FL Southwest Florida Event Center
MON 3/4 Ponte Vedra Beach, FL Ponte Vedra Concert Hall
TUE 3/5 Atlanta, GA Buckhead Theatre
THU 3/7 Austin, TX Scoot Inn
FRI 3/8 San Antonio, TX The Aztec Theater
SAT 3/9 Houston, TX House of Blues
