Show Review

Since I heard their album “Let Go,” I’ve been an avid fan of Nada Surf, the band who was once immensely popular with what some would quickly call a one hit wonder. The song “Popular” really didn’t mean anything to me at the time; I just loved the band’s sincere, smooth vocals and delicate pop. Seeing as how this was my first time seeing the band, and after hearing multiple stories about the band’s insane live performance, I had no worries that this would be an amazing show.

Sea Wolf, a band on Dangerbird Records, were the one and only opener this Tuesday evening. They played quite well, exposing what I might called layered folk pop. The several members of the band seemed overly comfortable and compassionate, despite the array of chattering Nada Surf fans packed into the tiny venue. I was quite impressed with their performance, and was especially into the intricate vocal musings of their singer, who calmly played several songs from their latest record.

However, let’s be honest, I was here to see Nada Surf. So as the night ticked away and I patiently sipped a flat Miller Lite, I was on edge to see them take the stage. Finally, the three piece took the stage with a sort of comfortable charisma. To be honest, I had this sinking feeling that the band was almost resigned to their overall mainstream downturn over the past several years, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized this band genuinely loves making music: that’s it. It’s nice to see there are bands like this out there still. It feels more real, or authentic, if you will.

Nada Surf kicked in with a scattered mix of jams from their Proximity Effect and Let Go records, playing several crowd pleasers like “Killian’s Red” and my personal favorite “Fruit Fly,” eventually working some of the new material from their latest (incredible) record “Lucky.” The band played with astonishing integrity, despite their nature as a 3-piece; several of the layered guitar parts I knew were on the record didn’t sound missing. They were loud, too: almost too loud (if that’s possible). As they progressed through their set, I found myself almost in a trance, mystified by their singer’s hypnotic, delicate vocals and loud, pulsating beats provided by their awesome rhythm section. Some of the high moments included the captivating “The Fox,” tremolo guitars included, the jammy “Do It Again,” and probably my personal favorite, the sweet closer of “See These Bones.”

They were literally spot on. Where the guitarist made up for the lack of an additional rhythm guitarist, the drummer and bassist made up for the vocal melodies consistently. The band was tight and clean, and easily one of the best performances I’ve seen for awhile. What was missing? Definitely a performance of the beautiful “Always Love” and fun “Blankest Year,” but the addition of their ‘one hit wonder’ single “Popular” (which, to my chagrin, they actually don’t mind playing live) and the compassionate “Fruit Fly” made up for it. I strongly recommend catching this band live, and if you haven’t heard their latest yet, you’re really missing out on something wonderful. Hell, if you haven’t heard their last few records, get your ass to work. Special thanks to Barsuk for hooking up access to the show, especially on such late notice.

review by Andrew Martin