In 2008, I rode my bicycle across a state line to pick up a copy of The Gaslight Anthem's second album, The 59 Sound. Eight years later, that band's signature lyrics paying homage to the blues and American rock and roll institutions, find themselves as clearly as ever in the writing of frontman Brian Fallon. Showcasing "The Blues, Mary" and other familiar Gaslight tropes, Fallon's debut solo album, Painkillers came as a bit of relief to diehard fans attempting to ride out the band's indefinite hiatus, announced in 2015.

The sutures provided by Fallon's Butch Walker-produced solo effort more than comfort even Gaslight's most punk-oriented fan base. The twelve tracks on the record form a diverse survey of Fallon's narrative ability to build songs around near-cliche, if not fully idealized characters and situations our grandfathers might wax nostalgic about sitting on a porch with a cigarette burning down to their knuckles. The real surprise in Painkillers is in how well Fallon's ability to arrange different music let's songs move fluidly between genre. There isn't a punk song, there isn't a country song; but there are twelve songs indisputably belonging to Brian Fallon's unique voice and sound.

Delivering in ways 2011's side project, The Horrible Crowes, couldn't quite muster, the enjoyment of the album's live experience came as no surprise. In fact, after seeing Painkillers performed by a band made up of Crowes and Gaslight alumni billed as "Brian Fallon & The Crowes" at St. Andrew's Music Hall, it is hard to ignore Fallon's songwriting ability across all the projects he has been involved in. Songs from The Horrible Crowes' 2011 Elise were welcomed by the Detroit crowd just as much, if not more, than songs from Fallon's album released earlier this year.

While one can comfortably assume the majority of interest in Fallon derives from The Gaslight Anthem, it was refreshing to see a crowd fully embracing this particular body of work. Nowhere to be seen were guys in punk rock tank tops barging through softer moments, like the sublime "Honey Magnolia" clamoring for classic Gaslight rockers. On the contrary, the Detroit audience gave as much love for obscure side-project tracks like one-off band Molly & The Zombies' cuts “Smoke" or “Red Lights” or Horrible Crowes' anthemic "Behold the Hurricane."

Some Gaslight Anthem alumni at St. Andrews last night pic.twitter.com/ey2yFvTCCv

— Tony Ravoli (@tonyisapoet) June 29, 2016

Stand outs from Painkillers melded nicely into the live set, more than surviving out of their album placement. "A Wonderful Life," the album's lead single gave its momentum and life to the songs around it; as if anybody was struggling to be there.  "I want a life on fire," Fallon sings during that song, "I don't want to survive, I want a wonderful life." Ever the showman, fans of his band soften in their resolve to wait out the Gaslight Anthem-hiatus. As long as Fallon's having nights like this, it's hard to begrudge which catalogue the songs he's playing are coming from.

See below the rest of Fallon's US and upcoming European tour dates.

 Image: PPcorn.com, Facebook.