33 Thunder brings its brand of modern country straight to the wood-paneled walls of Gilley's Saloon, fronted by singing bassist Pete Violas, who grew up on a steady diet of Cash, Campbell, Presley, and Nelson courtesy of his dad back in upstate New York. That small-town, Friday-night-lights upbringing shows through in the band's sound, a road-tested mix that's been sharpened over years of steady gigging across the Southern California circuit.

There's a resilience woven into this band too, having come through the Route 91 tragedy and kept playing. At Gilley's, with its saddle-seat barstools and honky-tonk atmosphere, that hard-won energy translates into a live set built for a crowd that wants to two-step, sing along, and spill a little beer on the sawdust-scented floor.