Nada
Surf
The El Rey Theatre, Los Angeles
October 22, 2005
“There are so fucking many of you.” This came from
a clearly stoked Daniel Lorca. Unmistakable beneath his trademark
dreads, Nada Surf’s bass player was clearly impressed with
the turnout for his band’s first LA gig to promote their
new album, The Weight Is a Gift. “I concur, I concur,”
said lead singer and guitarist Matthew Caws, betraying no small
amount of gratitude.
Neither, however, should have been surprised. A large audience
at a small venue is what you should expect when you’ve put
out two excellent records in a row, as Nada Surf has, first with
2003's Let Go, and now with Weight. Perhaps
their reaction underpins just how left-for-dead they must have
felt following their dismissal from the mainstream after their
hit song, “Popular” came and went in 1996.
Then again, Let Go was a well-received effort, and should’ve
sent a clear message to the band that there was an audience out
there for their smart, empathetic pop. Weight may represent
a shift from the heavy pathos that blanketed that record—rendering
it somewhat less potent in the process—but there’s
something to be said for crafting fine, uplifting rock.
But
if the only real difference between the two records is trajectory,
then the band showed seamless agility in straddling the two extremes.
“Blizzard of ‘77" kicked things off—as
it does on Let Go—and its ruminations on fear and
sadness were followed by the cautionary and upbeat “Concrete
Bed,” Weight’s opener. After that, they shuffled
the best cuts from both records, reserving older material for
multiple encores. Yes, multiple encores, which included a welcomed
segue into Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart,”
a revelation when thought of beside Let Go’s “Hi-Speed
Soul.”
“This song is about some insects in my kitchen,” said
Caws, referring to “Fruit Fly.” It was one of the
few times the singer indulged in a brief guitar solo. He has a
beautiful, ringing style, otherwise, but when inclined, he can
“freak out” with the best of them. “You guys
are nice,” he added, before a soothing rendition
of “Your Legs Grow.” It led to a beautiful reading
of “Blonde on Blonde,” Let Go’s midway-point
lullaby, which would’ve made for an appropriate, mellow
closer, but when they returned to the stage to play the “Popular”
song—well, that was nice.
By Gary Knight
www.nadasurf.com
11/2005
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