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A perfect day nada surf12/15/2023 ![]() From a purely selfish perspective, though, their fans aren’t likely to care all that much. ![]() for Modest Mouse - that’s stepped them up to the top tier of indie rock royalty. They’ve continued to turn out records at a good pace - their most recent, The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy, dropped in 2012 - but they never seem to have had that record - like Plans for Death Cab, or Good News. Nada Surf emerged from the same kind of college rock scene as the likes of Death Cab for Cutie and Modest Mouse, so why they’ve never crossed over in the same way is quite the mystery. I for one will be surfing again with these guys. The Electric Ballroom never disappoints as a venue and tonight is no exception. Pure power pop perfection played with panache. The many requests get ignored with Caws joking that they just have too many good songs, and you know what he’s not wrong. On a night of many highlights ‘Inside of Love’ hits the highest note for me along with ‘Weightless’ from the new album. It’s a sparse moodily lit stage tonight which just highlights the rawness of the music and adds to the ethereal feel of the night where the music stands front and centre. Great musicians, intelligent lyrics with great hooks. Nada Surf encapsulates everything that is good about American guitar based bands such as Death Cab, Gin Blossoms and Semisonic. All chip in with fine harmonies that embellish Caws natural range. They are also joined by former Guided by Voices guitarist Doug Gillard to provide the meat on the bones. He is ably supported by long time band mates Daniel Lorca on bass and Ira Elliot on drums providing that driving beats that is the foundation of the Nada Surf sound. Led by now Cambridge resident Matthew Caws on rhythm guitar and vocals we are treated to intelligent power pop that highlights his impeccable song writing skills. ![]() The set takes in all of their albums drawing heavily from the new one, ‘Lucky’, ‘The Weight is a Gift’ and my personal favourite ‘Let Go’. After a couple of ok recent efforts Nada Surf are back with a great new album ‘You know who you are’.įrom the opening song ‘Cold to see clear’ taken from the new album we are taken on a power pop ride of the finest order. It’s me and my brother in rock arms John tonight to see Nada Surf for the first time in ten years for some inexplicable reason. There’s time for a snippet of ‘Love will tear us apart’ during ‘Stalemate’ and some two and half hours after we started we come to an end with ‘Blankest Year’ and crowd are dancing as one huge hot sweaty mass.Ī fantastic, sweaty, thrilling and a little bit nostalgic night of thoroughly music and ‘till the next time keep on rockin’ y’all The main difference I think between the two are that Nada Surf can really rock out when they want to especially on ‘Dispossession’ and ‘Popular’. I think Nada Surf are the closest American band to our own Teenage Fanclub and if there was a criticism tonight it was the backing vocals were a bit low in the mix. And what a start ‘Imaginary Friends’ and ‘Teenage Dreams’ set the tone for another hour of the finest power pop. With the superb Matthew Caws on lead and vocals, Daniel Lorca slinking around on bass with the obligatory cigarette dangling from his mouth and the metronomic beast that’s Ira Elliot on the biggest drum kit outside of a metal band they turn their hand from acapella, power pop, acoustic and full on rock and even French.Īfter a short break the band return for a greatest hits set heavily drawing from ‘The Proximity Effect’ and ‘The Weight is a Gift’. Nada Surf are a band comfortable in their own skin and the usual three piece are augmented with keys tonight. Highlights, difficult but if I have to choose, the back to back of ‘Fruit Fly’ and ‘Blonde on Blonde’ nail it. Not a bad track which is unusual and it’s great to hear it played live again. One of my favourite, not just power pop, albums of the last fifteen years but of any genre. There are no surprises in the first set as it’s a complete in sequence rendition of the fantastic ‘Let Go’. The addition of a reasonably priced IPA at the bar since the last time I visited is just what the doctor ordered to try and break the heat. It’s a hot and sweaty night in north London at a sold out Dome. After seeing Nada Surf fifteen years ago on the Let Go tour it only seems right that we do all over again on its fifteenth anniversary show.
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