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THE HARD LUCK SOULS – 3/28/24 AT EMPIRE UNDERGROUND, ALBANY, NY (PHOTOS BY JESS DISANO)
Albany hard rock/blues outfit The Hard Luck Souls brought the groove to Empire Underground on 3/28/24, opening for Saratoga Springs alt rockers The Broken View.
CONCERT REVIEW: STARBENDERS/THE HAUNT/THE HARD LUCK SOULS @ EMPIRE UNDERGROUND, 06/30/2023
" The last day of June brought the summer heat to Albany, enough to drive a music lover below ground into the cool concrete confines of Empire Underground: the venue that virtually dares eager fans to find it. Around the North Pearl Street corner and down Columbia Street, followed by a disquieting descent into the brutalist underbelly of Empire Live delivered a destination that throbbed with rock n roll variety. Capital Region’s The Hard Luck Souls set it off with some bluesy hard rock, followed by dark romantic high-energy futuristic punk rock pop from South Florida’s The Haunt, and topped off with some witchy, gloriously glittery glam rock from Atlanta’s Starbenders. Heat of a different nature, supplied with sartorial and sensatory style. "
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Next up were The Hard Luck Souls, an original blues-influenced hard rock band from the Capital District. Chris’ cool bluesy rock voice, led the tight, well-rehearsed group featuring Chris Itani on vocals, Brian Gentile on guitar, Mark Schmidt on drums and Dave Smassanow on bass. The setlist was from their 2017 CD, Closer to the Flame, and included: “You’re Not a Saint,” “In My Head,” “Izzy’s Thunder,” “Believer,” “Fly Away,” “Get Back,” “Better Keep On Running,” and “I’m Not Ashamed."
The Hard Luck Souls were next up on the bill and they came out swinging with “I Never” the second track off of their 2017 release Closer To The Flame. The Souls are a tight unit with front-man Chris Itani commanding the stage like a seasoned veteran. The song’s lyrics describe the end to a messy relationship and paired with the excellent guitar work of Brian Gentile, perfectly represents the hard rock vibe of the four man group. The highlight of the Soul’s set was “Get Back,” a fast paced number reminiscent of The Stone Temple Pilots. The crunchy tune showcased the prowess of the band’s rhythm section which features Dave Smassanow on bass and Mark Schmidt on drums. Deep into their set the Souls treated the audience by performing the band’s newly minted single “Keep On Running.” The number has only been played out live by the boys a few times and was received enthusiastically by the crowd. The Hard Luck Souls finished their portion of the evening strong with high energy renditions of 90’s classics “Nice Shot” by Filter and Soundgarden’s “Outshined.”
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