ANAHEIM,
CA - Nada Surf has been called a Weezer rip off (not entirely true) and
a one hit wonder (well, because of "Popular," that's probably correct),
but to suggest that this power pop trio lacks artistic merit would be shortsighted.
Nada Surf proved itself worthy on the basis of this hour-plus set of melodic
rock, which was filled with plenty of heartfelt and soul.
Songs
like "Fruit Fly," from the recent "Let Go" release, exhibited how this
group can take such unlikely inspiration from insects gathered around an
old fruit bowl. The song "Inside Of Love," (also drawn from "Let Go") was
a pure pop delight, as it took a more direct route toward describing the
confusing ins and outs of romance. At one point, vocalist Matthew Caws
even led the group through a spot-on rendition of Joy Division's "Love
Will Tear Us Apart." Toward the end of the show, the Nada Surf brought
on Rachel Hayden (of That Dog) for some welcome female harmonizing.
Leadman
Caws may draw more than a little inspiration from power pop icons such
as Cheap Trick, but insightful character study songs like "Bacardi" (from
1998's "The Proximity Effect") say more in their lyrics than just, "I want
you to want me."
The
approximately 200 hundred music fans at this all-ages venue were collectively
hushed when Norwegian Sondre Lerche strode onto stage with their unique
brand of acoustic folk. His stirring set-closing cover of Cole Porter's
"Night And Day" suggested that such standards have had a strong impact
on his own writing style. Such influences were evident when he sang his
own tunes - "Sleeps On Needles" and "All Luck Ran Out" - which revealed
a distinctly jazzy flavor, highlighted with sophisticated lyrics.
Lerche
accompanied himself on acoustic guitar for the first half of the show,
then plugged in after ritualistically removing his outer shirt at the end.
He plays quite well, and if he hadn't spoken between songs, it would have
been hard to tell that this singer/songwriter was from faraway Scandinavia.
In fact, he could just have easily passed for the kind of folky you might
have seen on any given night at The Troubadour in Hollywood, circa the
mid-Seventies.
The
People from Kansas City, a quartet that plays a hard-to-categorize brand
of rock, opened the show. And while their sound has been likened to ‘70s
era Glam by others, to these ears, much of what they played this night
sounded closer to Brian Eno's pre-Bowie/pre-ambient solo work. Some of
the group's new material, such as "Robots," even hinted at the imprint
of New Wave. The band is fronted by Ben Grimes, who looks a little like
Sting-meets-Danny Bonaduce, and has a natural charisma that attracts almost
all the focus when the group is on stage.
On
more than one occasion, various members of this touring package - which
was on the second to last night of its current cross country jaunt - made
mention of how nice it was to finally be in a warm climate -- especially
after battling through a blizzard in South Dakota and other similar chill
spots. Whether in the heat or the cold, however, these three noteworthy
acts are keeping the rock flame burning clear and bright.
