I finally photographed Giovannie and The Hired Guns in the Austin area on Saturday, March 9th, at Haute Spot in Cedar Park, Texas. The band played a phenomenal show, as expected.
Grant Gilbert opened for the guys. Before the show, I researched Grant Gilbert and discovered he and his band are Red Raiders. Being a Texas Tech alum and Red Raider, I was stoked to see them live. I always want to support my fellow Red Raiders. They put on an incredible show—one of the best openers I have seen in a long time. They played a 14-song set that included originals such as “Ain’t From It,” “She Goes Home,” “Turn it Down,” “What’s Stopping Us,” and “Six Pack State of Mind.”
According to Grant, they are a little bit rock and a little bit country, and they put on a hell of a show. I enjoyed their renditions of Gretchen Wilson‘s “Here For The Party” and Creedence Clearwater Revival‘s son “Fortunate Son.”
I hope to see them again headlining one day. They have what it takes as a band to entertain and grow as a household name here in Texas and beyond.
Grant Gilbert Band:
Grant Gilbert – Lead singer + Guitar
Gunner Driver – Drums
Davis Draughon – Bass Guitar
Morgan Baker – Guitar
Grant Gilbert Setlist:
1.) God and Everybody
2.) Six Pack/Drink
3.) Here For The Party
4.) What’s Stopping Us
5.) Desires
6.) Refugee
7.) Ain’t From
8.) She Goes Home
9.) Turn It Down
10.) Hold On To
11.) Hub City
12.) WYWY
13.) Sundowners
14.) Fortunate Son
After Grant Gilbert’s killer performance, it was time for Giovannie and The Hired Guns. As I’ve said, they are one of my absolute favorite bands on tour. Every show I’ve seen has been my favorite show I’ve seen of them, and Saturday was no different.
The crowd’s energy shifted into high gear when the band took the stage. Gio and the guys have this uncanny ability to command a crowd and light the stage. My favorite parts of their concerts are their music, stage presence, and grit. This time, seeing them, they seemed tighter, moved around the stage more, and were emotive. A show I already thought was solid was elevated to another level. The band played some of their best songs, such as “Bad Habits,” “Stay,” “Change,” “I Don’t Mind,” and “Numb,” and my personal favorite is “Overrated.” Song after song of bangers that are all crowd favorites.
Of course, a Giovannie and The Hired Guns show isn’t a Giovannie and The Hired Guns show without a cover of Hinder‘s “Lips of An Angel.” Their shows go by fast because it is hit after hit after hit. By the time they play “Rooster Tattoo,” you want the show to start over and experience it all again.
These guys continue to impress and build their fan base. If you have not seen them live, check them out all over the US this spring and summer. They are anything but overrated.
Giovannie and The Hired Guns Band:
Giovannie Yanez – Lead Vocals
Carlos Villa – Electric Guitar
Jerrod Flusche – Electric Guitar
Alex Trejo – Bass Guitar, Tuba
Miles Toles – Drums/Percussion
Giovannie and The Hired Gun Setlist:
1.) Bad Habits
2.) Cjhange
3.) Always On My Mind
4.) Lips of an Angle
5.) Change
6.) Shout
7.) Numb
8.) Overrated
9.) Tragos Amargos (Ramon Ayala Cover)
10.) Ramon Ayala
11.) Stay
12.) I Don’t Mind
13.) Pumped Up Kicks
14.) Rooster Tattoo
Follow Grant Gilbert Online Online:
Follow Giovannie and The Hired Guns Online:
Hi!
I’m Jalys. Music and concert photographer located in Austin, TX. I graduated from Texas Tech University with a degree in Photocommunications. Pretty cool, right? An Instagram degree before Instagram was cool!
I enjoy traveling around Texas, and taking photos of bands and musicians. Texas has so many awesome venues, and I want to photograph any that I can. Music has always been a major part of my life, and while a student at Texas Tech, I knew that I wanted to specialize in music photography. I have lived in the Austin area for over twelve years and have been able to photograph so many cool bands. Let’s add yours to the list!
When I’m not photographing, I’m probably working at my day job as a University Recruiter for a manufacturing facility. I travel quite often for work and love visiting college campuses! I enjoy hanging out with my husband, our 3 dogs (Ryder, Carter, and Tucker), our adopted cat, Allie, and our families. Follow me on Instagram! You will get to see all the pet photos you can stomach. My handle is @j.bcaro.
