Hit 90s bands Gin Blossoms, Blues Traveler to headline McGrath Amphitheatre

The Gin Blossoms and Blues Traveler were label mates during the 90s and hit the charts within a year of each other. However, the bands that A&M relentlessly supported didn't tour together during the Clinton era.

But a generation after breaking, the Gin Blossoms and Blues Traveler are on a co-headlining jaunt. Who knows if the bands, which will perform Monday, July 7 at McGrath Amphitheatre, would still be together if it wasn't for a laudable push by A&M.

The artist-friendly label sent critics four copies of the Gin Blossoms' major label debut, "New Miserable Experience," over a 12-month span. That was during the artist development era, but A&M went above and beyond what most labels did during the twilight of the grunge era. A&M even altered the artwork the last time "New Miserable Experience" was delivered to scribes. "New Miserable Cover," the sticker read on the album that went quadruple platinum.

"We were lucky the record company saw the big picture," vocalist-guitarist Robin Wilson said. "They were shooting for a career, not just a hit record. A&M allowed us to fail a couple of times."

The Gin Blossoms survived a disastrous pairing with producer Albhy Galuten, who was initially behind the board for "New Miserable Experience." Galuten, who produced the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack, as well as Eric Clapton and Jellyfish projects, failed to connect with the Gin Blossoms. Guitarist Doug Hopkins, who wrote a number of the band's early hits, didn't get along with Galuten.

"Doug didn't like Albhy," Wilson said. "He tried to intimidate us. He said to me, ‘You should have heard (Bee Gees vocalist) Barry Gibb in the studio.’"

The Gin Blossoms and Galuten parted ways. The band produced the album with John Hampton (The Replacements, The Raconteurs), and A&M's patience and support paid off. "Hey Jealousy," "Until I Fall Away," "Found Out About You" and "Allison Road" each landed in the Billboard Top 40.

"We're fortunate to have seven top 40 singles," Wilson said. "There's a lot of baggage with those songs. Each lyric has a memory attached to it. Some of the memories are good. Others are painful."

It's still agonizing for Wilson to look back and think about Hopkins, who suffered from chronic depression. A&M forcefully removed him from the band in 1992, and the following year, Wilson died by suicide.

"There were so many painful, ugly moments with Doug," Wilson said. "Losing Doug was incredibly painful."

The Gin Blossoms, which also includes guitarists Jesse Valenzuela and Scotty Johnson, bassist Bill Leen and drummer Scott Hessel, splintered in 1997 but reformed in 2002. "The breakup didn't have to be forever, and it wasn't," Wilson said. "We really enjoy playing together. We appreciate each other and hope to perform together for a long time."

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The Gin Blossoms survived a huge loss, and the same goes for Blues Traveler. Bassist Bobby Sheehan died in 1999 due to an accidental drug overdose.

The band, which recorded such hits as "But Anyway," "Run-Around" and "Hook," has been together for 38 years.

"We've been pretty stable," guitarist Chan Kinchla said. "Not a lot of bands out there can say that. I'm just happy we can keep this going."

The only lineup change was Kinchla's brother Tad Kinchla replacing Sheehan. "It's the same lineup since Tad joined us. We've all been friends since before the band formed."

The members of the group were in pre-Blues Traveler bands while attending the same high school in Princeton, New Jersey. "Somehow, we've kept it together," Kinchla said. "We still bond over the music."

The blues rock band is working on its first full length album of new material since 2018's "Hurry Up & Hang Around."

"We have some stuff we're playing around with," Kinchla said. "We'll have a new album out. In the meantime, we're playing a bunch of the hits. We're not going to leave people hanging. We're going up there and having fun. That's the goal."

Blues Traveler, which also includes vocalist Jon Popper, drummer Brendan Hill and keyboardist Ben Wilson, is slipping in some choice covers.

"We're doing a version of Van Halen's 'Hot for Teacher,’" Kinchla said. "It's my homage to the late great Edward Van Halen. I love 'Hot for Teacher.' It's like a revved up version of (ZZ Top's) 'Le Grange.' It might sound strange, but ZZ Top doesn't get enough credit. They should be in the pantheon of 70s rock bands."

Kinchla is looking forward to spending time on the road with the Gin Blossoms. "We've always had a lot of respect and admiration for the Gin Blossoms," Kinchla said. "It'll be a great tour."

Concerts in Cedar Rapids are always extra special for the Kinchlas since they visited Tipton when they were kids, as their mother's family is from the area.

"Some of those in my mom's family were farmers," Kinchla said. "I remember seeing my Aunt Louella out on the farm. Iowa has a special place in my heart because of my family, and the audiences there are always amazing."