The Streets of Laredo at the Rose Bar

Daniel Gibson

Dave Gibson was the vocalist of New Zealand's biggest rock band, Elemeno P, when in 2012 he started singing with his wife, Sarahjane Gibson, and his younger brother, Daniel Gibson, in Auckland. Daniel took to a guitar and lead vocals, Dave grabbed drumsticks, and Sarahjane reached for various percussion instruments, and after only one local performance, the Gibsons relocated to Brooklyn, New York. They took the band name, Streets of Laredo, from an old cowboy song. Presently the band consists of the three Gibsons plus lead guitarist Cameron Deyell, bassist Sean McMahon and trumpeter/synthesizer player Andrew McGovern. The Streets of Laredo's second album, Wild, was released on October 21, 2016.

Performing an invitation-only concert at the Rose Bar at the Gramercy Hotel, the Streets of Laredo showed what happens when folk songs adopt slick and poppy angles. The songs sounded like they started as simplistic, acoustic ditties written while the composers sat on the sofa by a fireplace. Through collaborations , the songs then matured with buttery vocal harmonies, stinging electric guitar leads, curious trumpet lines, and a soft rhythmic backbone. While sounding like the songs were rooted in Americana, maybe the fact that most of the band members are not American allowed for a more fluid introduction of other homespun flavors. The Streets of Laredo played honest music with clever hooks that should catch on with fans of the Avett Brothers, Mumford & Sons and the Lumineers.

Visit the Streets of Laredo at www.streetsoflaredomusic.com.