Gaslight Anthem Celebrate 'American Slang' Record Release in New York

If there's one positive side to the fact that Gaslight Anthem's third LP, 'American Slang,' leaked back in April, it's that their fans knew every word of the new songs at Tuesday night's record release concert at New York's Irving Plaza.

The quartet opened their set with the album's title track and over the course of their first 11 songs they played, Gaslight Anthem played the first nine tracks of 'American Slang' in order. And unless they somehow memorized the lyrics from the NPR stream that debuted on June 6, it was obvious that a majority of the crowd helped themselves to an early download of the album.

As frontman Brian Fallon promised midway through the new songs, the second half of the band's set was strictly older material from their debut, 'Sink or Swim,' the 'Senor and the Queen' EP and 2008's 'The '59 Sound.' Just like with the new material, the final 11 songs were full-on sing-alongs, and though the band might not have kept the punky feel of 'Sink or Swim,' their loud, distorted set retains that edge.

Throughout the set, Fallon repeatedly thanked the crowd, saying it was good for the New Jersey natives to be back home and saluting the fans who came from the Garden State. Thanks to 'American Slang,' it appears Gaslight Anthem will be moving on to bigger and better things -- their next New York City show will be in front of an audience six times as big as Irving's when they play Radio City Music Hall in September. Tickets for that show go on sale June 25.