Wednesday night at 12th and Porter was definitely one for the old school rock fans. There were no synthesizers, fog machines or any other new-age distractions. In lieu of the bravado of the glam rock scene were electric guitars, Americana music and a crowd that was socially lubricated and ready to dance. The show was scheduled to start at 8 p.m., but after sound checks and waiting for the venue to slowly fill, the music didn’t start until a little before 9 p.m. After Tesla Rossa finished their set, The Grand Magnolias, an East Nashville-based band, rocked the house, sounding like a cross between Ryan Adams and Old Crow Medicine Show.
Around 10:30 A Thousand Horses took the stage to an appreciative crowd and got right down to it. They played all five of the songs off their EP, which seemed to please the crowd – many of whom had come to see them specifically, the evidence being that several people in the audience were singing along (with one girl loudly and drunkenly screaming) the words to the catchy stand-out track, “A Thousand Horses.” Front man Michael Hobby doesn’t play an instrument on stage, which works for the dynamic of the band because it makes the sound have a Guns ‘N Roses theatrical quality about it. Having already listened to their album, it was impressive that they sounded just as good live, although a little more impromptu and easygoing. Guitarist Graham De Loach played in seamless harmony with bassist Bill Satcher, especially on the bluesy and guitar-heavy “Suicide Eyes.”
While some of the music they played was simple and traditional rock and roll, like the rockabilly tune “Travelin’ Man,” other songs had a funkier, modern vibe like “Kiss Your Photograph.” Part of any good show is having a crowd that doesn’t just sway back and forth, but gets a little out of control. While there were no broken beer bottles or bar fights, there was a contagious energy to being in a room with fellow rock enthusiasts watching a kickass rock show. – Krystal Wallace