Strange Boys & Chain and The Gang & The Echo in LA - pics

March 3, 2010

Chain & The Gang / Strange Boys

The headliners were young but prolific and seriously hot Strange Boys, who play a real stripped down and bluesy style. You’d think the band’s sound would be heavier with its expanded lineup featuring Jenna from Mika Miko and Tim Presley from Darker My Love, but it’s practically transparent on their amazing new album, Be Brave. Of course, it’s much louder live, but the effect is still as fragile as can be, teetering on every syllable that creaks out of singer/guitar player Ryan Sambol’s throat.

Sambol doesn’t give up any of the provocative song introductions or spectra-sonic soul dance moves of Ian, but he proved to be similarly communicative and effective through his almost uncomfortably unguarded vocals. Worth checking out and worthy of the lines that stretched outside The Echo on a crisp Friday night…[Martin Wong]

Strange Boys and Chain & The Gang played at L.A.’s The Echo on Friday, February 26th as part of their continuing tour together. Strange Boys headlined at the Echo, while Chain & The Gang topped the bill the previous night. SBs singer Ryan Sambol made a guest appearance on guitar (wearing a little convict cap) for Chain’s final song.

Strange Boys will be representing their hometown of Austin at SXSW this year (info below). They play Radio City Music Hall on March 26th with Spoon and Deerhunter. This April, they’ll be in Europe, which is where Chain and the Gang will be spending their time through May.

More pictures and all tour dates are below…

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Chain and the Gang…

Strange Boys…

The Strange Boys – 2010 Tour Dates
Mar 02 The Space Salem, Oregon #
Mar 03 Northern Olympia, Washington #
Mar 04 Comet Tavern Seattle, Washington #
Mar 05 Media Club Vancouver, British Columbia #
Mar 06 East End Portland, Oregon #
Mar 07 Visual Arts Collective Boise, Idaho
Mar 08 Urban Lounge Salt Lake City, Utah
Mar 09 Hi-Dive Denver, Colorado
Mar 10 Club 156 (Univ of Colorado) Boulder, Colorado
Mar 12 Bash Riprock’s Lubbock, Texas
Mar 13 Red Eyed Fly Austin, Texas
Mar 16 Scoot Inn Austin, Texas
Mar 17 Emo’s (SXSW)-Official Rough Trade Showcase Austin, Texas
Mar 18 Republic New Orleans, Louisiana
Mar 19 Workplay Soundstage Birmingham, Alabama
Mar 20 Tabernacle Atlanta, Georgia
Mar 21 Local 506 Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Mar 22 9:30 Club The Capitol, Washington DC
Mar 23 9:30 Club The Capitol, Washington DC
Mar 24 The National Richmond, Virginia
Mar 25 Danger Danger Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Mar 26 Radio City Music Hall New York, New York
Mar 27 House of Blues Boston, Massachusetts
Mar 28 The Bug Jar Rochester, New York
Mar 29 Sound Academy Toronto, Ontario
Mar 30 Royal Oaks Music Theatre Royal Oaks, Michigan
Mar 31 Now That’s Class Cleveland, Ohio
Apr 01 Cactus Club Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Apr 02 The Bishop Bloomington, Indiana
Apr 03 Glenn Danzig’s House Nashville, Tennessee
Apr 04 Hi-Tone Memphis, Tennessee
Apr 05 Emo’s Outside Austin, Texas
Apr 09 Point Ephemere Paris
Apr 10 Motel Mazaique Rotterdam
Apr 11 Domino Festival Brussels
Apr 15 Nation of Shopkeepers Leeds
Apr 16 Nice’n’Sleazys Glasgow, Scotland
Apr 17 Deaf Institute Manchester
Apr 18 Academy 3 Birmingham
Apr 21 ICA London
Apr 22 Freebutt Brighton
Apr 23 Louisiana Bristol
Apr 24 Lennon’s Southhampton
# w/ Chain and The Gang

Chain and The Gang – European 2010 Tour Dates
Mar 24 OFF Club Crakow
Mar 25 Final Club Prag
Mar 26 West Germany Berlin
Mar 27 Zoro Leipzig
Mar 28 Hafenklang Hamburg
Mar 29 Gleis 22 Munster
Mar 30 Forum Bielefeld
Mar 31 VK Brussels, Brussels-capital
Apr 01 Club Aeronef Lille
Apr 02 L’Olympic Nantes
Apr 03 Raymond’s Bar Clermont-Ferrand
Apr 04 St Ex Bordeaux
Apr 05 Le Saint des Seins Toulouse
Apr 06 Le Bukowsky San Sebastian
Apr 07 Nasti Club Madrid
Apr 08 Sidecar Barcelona
Apr 09 Le Volume Nice
Apr 10 Ortosonico Giussago
Apr 11 Mono Spazio Bar Pescara
Apr 12 Clandestino Faenza
Apr 13 Cantinone Valvasone
Apr 14 Queen Kong Neuchatel
Apr 15 L’Autre Canal Nancy
Apr 16 La Nef Angouleme
Apr 17 Printemps de Bourges Festival Bourges
Apr 19 Cargo London
Apr 20 Brudenell Social Club Leeds
Apr 21 Stereo Glasgow
Apr 22 Sawa Sheffield
Apr 23 La Maroquinerie Paris
Apr 24 MJC Colmar
Apr 25 La Zone Liege
Apr 26 L’Emile Vache Metz
Apr 27 Grnd Zero Lyon
Apr 28 Kill Your Pop Festival Dijon
Apr 29 Le Kab Geneva
May 01 Vinyl Microstore / Myga Athens