Back in March, Brian Fallon revealed that his band, The Gaslight Anthem, officially on hiatus since 2015, were “returning to full-time status” , and writing songs for what will be their follow-up to 2014's Get Hurt.
The New Jersey quartet were scheduled to launch their comeback in Berlin on August 9, with their date at the city's Columbiahalle venue representing their first show since a short run of shows in 2018 to mark the 10th anniversary of their breakthrough album The '59 Sound. So imagine the shock and delight felt by unsuspecting ticket holders showing up for Brian Fallon's scheduled solo show at the Crossroads club in Garwood, New Jersey on June 18 when TGA guitarist Alex Rosamilia, bassist Alex Levine and drummer Benny Horowitz showed up on stage alongside Fallon.
"SURPRISE!!!!" Fallon posted on Instagram. "Looks like I decided to turn my third solo show @crossroadsgarwoodnj to a secret first @thegaslightanthem show! Good thing we live-streamed it..."
The livestream of the band's surprise set, which included a cover of Nirvana's Come as You Are, is available until Saturday, June 25, but inevitably fan-filmed clips of the gig have already surfaced online.
And it's fair to say that those fans were pretty thrilled by what they witnessed on the night.
The Gaslight Anthem played:
Howl
Great Expectations
Old White Lincoln
Mae
We Came to Dance
Handwritten
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
1930
Mulholland Drive
Stay Vicious
Film Noir
The Patient Ferris Wheel
The Diamond Church Street Choir
Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts
Come as You Are
American Slang
45
The '59 Sound
