By: Pat O'Brien
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Nada Surf at the Fine Line - Photo by Janey Curtis
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The Fine Line was packed tighter than a moving truck on Friday night for Nada Surf, Rogue Wave and Inara George. Even as opening act Inara George took the stage the place was about three-quarters full, something of a rarity in a city where people tend to be fashionably late to concerts. But being late to this show would have been anything but fashionable and would have been unwise. There were lots of ticketless people who showed to the sold-out event hoping to get in at the door who were turned away empty-handed.
Inara George
With a sparse set-up (herself on guitar, Gus the bass player, John on keyboards - last names were not in use this evening - a drum machine, no stage decor) and a decidedly un-sparse sound Inara George managed to get the night off to a quiet, confident start. George sounds like a cross between Beth Orton (musically) and the late Mary Hansen of Stereolab (vocally). The songs are subtly textured and there was a distinct lack of flash but just the right amount of flair - being the daughter of Little Feat's Lowell George has paid off well in this area. There was little stage banter, but what little there was made the crowd laugh. There was a back and forth between George and Gus her bassist about him losing his virginity on this tour if he "could only find the right groupie" that went on for long enough it had some people, this writer included, wondering if this really was a joke. A lot of singer-songwriters are too serious on stage and Inara George is a great example of someone who is not. She smiles, she jokes. There is not an "I'm-too-cool-for-this" aura about her at all. It put the crowd at ease as everyone's personal space was being slowly invaded by the steady line of people coming through the front door.
Rogue Wave
Remember that nerdy kid you picked on in high school who listened to Yo La Tengo a lot? Well, he's in a band that blows the doors off anything you might be doing these days. Certainly, there are many bands that sound as good as their recorded material or nearly so while playing live but Rogue Wave eclipsed the tone, sound, vibe, everything about the music they have committed to tape. It was like watching a band playing covers of their own songs. There was a sense of urgency in Zach Rogue's vocals and those giant, hooky riffs in songs like "Endless Shovel" and "Sewn Up" that slowly seeped further into everyone's gray matter and will probably never leave. Drummer Pat Spurgeon's afro looked Mars Volta-ready as he pounded his drums like Meg White with a better ear for rhythm. At turns it seemed like there were six or seven people on stage with all the racket erupting from the stage, a testament to Roguewave’s talent, not a knock on anything they were doing.
Nada Surf
Nada Surf made a big splash a decade ago with “Popular,” their sarcastic tale of a high-school outcast who is fooling himself. Remember how much you liked that song? Well, forget about it. Everything they have put out since has been much better and much more – ahem - adult. Nada Surf had been ignored by a large part of the general public until Death Cab For Cutie wisely began singing their praises and DCFC's Chris Walla produced their latest album, The Weight Is A Gift. Nada Surf still pulls out that geek card from time to time but it's hard to think guys who rock as hard as they do could be considered geeks at all. Bassist Daniel Lorca looks like he wandered in from a Phish concert and had an ever-present cigarette in his mouth (even while singing back-up) and lead singer Matthew Caws looks like that record store clerk who told you to buy that one album you love so much now. This is power pop with sharp musical teeth and a sharper lyrical wit. Their lyrics aren't laugh out loud funny but are the type to make you half-smile and give a knowing glance to the person standing next to you.
If nothing else this night proved, once again, that being a geek in high school can pay big dividends in the long run.
Location Info:
Fine Line Music Café
Artist Info: Inara George, Nada Surf, Rogue Wave
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