Josh Rouse Nashville 20th Anniversary Performance at The Garage, London – 24/01/2025
Just over a year since the incredible 20th anniversary performance of 1972, Josh Rouse returned to London to mark the same milestone for its follow up, Nashville. This album has always been my favourite among Rouse’s discography, with my appreciation partly rooted in the fact that, while certain tracks are truly reflective of the album title in their country influence, most of the tracks lean more towards the sophisticated, well-crafted pop that Rouse has become renowned for, with an underlying country influence subtly running throughout. This understated approach to the country genre resulted in a beautifully authentic, yet timeless record that sounds just as fresh now as it did upon its release in 2005.
‘It's the Nighttime’ – Nashville’s opening track, and the one most evident in its country influence, got the gig off to a solid start. ‘Winter in the Hamptons’ followed, with singalong choruses and snappy handclaps that were keenly reciprocated by the crowd. What was immediately clear from these opening songs, is that Rouse’s vocal has retained the strength and effortless tone that is present on the record.
As my favourite songs off the album, ‘Streetlights’ and ‘Sad Eyes’ were natural highlights of the evening. While these live renditions were beautiful, they didn’t quite capture the magic of the studio versions, due to the absence of strings in the band’s on-stage lineup. This was particularly evident in the final chorus of ‘Sad Eyes’, where the sweeping strings that are such a crucial element of the album version, were instead replicated by keyboard. This resulted in a somewhat underwhelming close to the song, that lacked the climactic build of the original. Nonetheless, it was still incredible to hear these much-loved songs played live.
Personal album favourites aside, the actual best tracks of the evening were the ones that relied on the more minimal instrumentation of their album counterparts, such as ‘Middle School Frown’ and ‘Saturday’. Though it was ‘My Love Has Gone’ that shone brightest; the song’s acoustic first verse/chorus, followed by the sudden kick of the full band for verse two, was a joyous moment that perfectly epitomised the timeless feel that runs throughout the entire record.
Following the album playthrough, Rouse continued the set with three tracks from 2006’s Subtítulo. In my opinion, these were the best non-Nashville tracks of the evening, with a notable mention to ‘It Looks Like Love’, which was driven by a bouncy, sun-drenched keys solo.
Rouse drew from his more recent catalogue for the reminder of the set, and while I was hoping for some deep cuts from the first three albums, some of these more current tracks – notably ‘Salton Sea’ – created a strong build leading up to the climactic finale of 1972’s ‘Love Vibration’. Overall, I very much enjoyed this anniversary performance, and, as with the 1972 gig in 2023, I found it very nostalgic hearing one of my favourite albums played track by track in a live setting. After the success of these anniversary performances, I am now curious as to whether Rouse will continue the theme for 2006’s Subtítulo.
‘It's the Nighttime’ – Nashville’s opening track, and the one most evident in its country influence, got the gig off to a solid start. ‘Winter in the Hamptons’ followed, with singalong choruses and snappy handclaps that were keenly reciprocated by the crowd. What was immediately clear from these opening songs, is that Rouse’s vocal has retained the strength and effortless tone that is present on the record.
As my favourite songs off the album, ‘Streetlights’ and ‘Sad Eyes’ were natural highlights of the evening. While these live renditions were beautiful, they didn’t quite capture the magic of the studio versions, due to the absence of strings in the band’s on-stage lineup. This was particularly evident in the final chorus of ‘Sad Eyes’, where the sweeping strings that are such a crucial element of the album version, were instead replicated by keyboard. This resulted in a somewhat underwhelming close to the song, that lacked the climactic build of the original. Nonetheless, it was still incredible to hear these much-loved songs played live.
Personal album favourites aside, the actual best tracks of the evening were the ones that relied on the more minimal instrumentation of their album counterparts, such as ‘Middle School Frown’ and ‘Saturday’. Though it was ‘My Love Has Gone’ that shone brightest; the song’s acoustic first verse/chorus, followed by the sudden kick of the full band for verse two, was a joyous moment that perfectly epitomised the timeless feel that runs throughout the entire record.
Following the album playthrough, Rouse continued the set with three tracks from 2006’s Subtítulo. In my opinion, these were the best non-Nashville tracks of the evening, with a notable mention to ‘It Looks Like Love’, which was driven by a bouncy, sun-drenched keys solo.
Rouse drew from his more recent catalogue for the reminder of the set, and while I was hoping for some deep cuts from the first three albums, some of these more current tracks – notably ‘Salton Sea’ – created a strong build leading up to the climactic finale of 1972’s ‘Love Vibration’. Overall, I very much enjoyed this anniversary performance, and, as with the 1972 gig in 2023, I found it very nostalgic hearing one of my favourite albums played track by track in a live setting. After the success of these anniversary performances, I am now curious as to whether Rouse will continue the theme for 2006’s Subtítulo.
Setlist
It's the Nighttime
Winter In the Hamptons
Streetlights
Caroliña
Middle School Frown
My Love Has Gone
Saturday
Sad Eyes
Why Won't You Tell Me What
Life
Quiet Town
His Majesty Rides
It Looks Like Love
Julie (Come Out of the Rain)
Hollywood Bass Player
Salton Sea
Simple Pleasure
Love Vibration
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