There are many artists and groups out of the Texas scene that have made the jump to a more “rock ‘n’ roll centric” sound over the past few years including such names as Koe Wetzel or Austin Meade. A band that has broken big and had some significant mainstream success – even picking up a Best New Artist (Alternative & Rock) from iHeart – is Giovannie and the Hired Guns. Capitalizing on their rising popularity, they have been hitting the road hard; this most notably being true with their Tejano Punk Boyz Tour.
Giovannie and the Hired Guns released a new live album called Tejano Punk Boyz Live on October 13th. This was pretty cool to see simply because live albums just aren’t a common trend anymore. In the era of releasing singles to keep the attention span of this generation of music listeners, pulling a live album out of the back pocket is refreshing. Recorded at the historic Gruene Hall in New Braunfels, TX, you’ll hear right away that the crowd is absolutely electric, which you should expect nothing less at this particular venue.
The setlist is well put together, including the group’s biggest tunes like Can’t Answer Why, Change, Overrated, Rooster Tattoo and Ramon Ayala. Also sprinkled in are some covers, these being a rendition of Tragos Amargos, as well as Pumped Up Kicks and the butt rock anthem, Lips Of An Angel. As Gio put it in a tweet, this record is indeed “raw as f***”.” The interaction with the audience is great, the band is tight and the energy was high from the first track to the last.
Give Tejano Punk Boyz Live by Giovannie and the Hired Guns a listen now to get as close to their live show as you can without actually being there. On second thought, here’s a better idea – spin this record, and then go grab some tickets to see them with your own two eyes. These guys rock.