“This is the biggest night of our career,” Gourds accordionist/keyboardist Claude Bernard joked early on during the alt-country band’s album release party at Los Angeles’ Echo on Sept. 13. But the ear-to-ear smiles on concertgoers’ faces at the 350-capacity venue proved that it was an evening to remember. The Austin-based group was in high spirits forthe release of its Vanguard Records debut, “Old Mad Joy,” which was produced by Larry Campbell at Levon Helm Studios (aka The Barn) in Woodstock, N.Y. Cans of Tecate and peanuts (and a faint hint of the Ganja) flowed aplenty backstage before the show, where members of the Gourds, their manager, Joe Priesnitz, a documentary film crew, and a slew of Vanguard execs celebrated the band’s new relationship with the label.

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