Nada Surf @ the Troub

     This past Thursday, October 5, alt-rock icons Nada Surf made a stop at the Troubadour on their current, month-long tour of the US, their first show in Los Angeles in three years.  A well-behaved queue formed outside the doors, anxiously awaiting the reappearance of the revered group, and the beginning of a concert that would prove its mettle and leave none disappointed.
     The only opening band worth mentioning of the three on the bill was Pasadena power pop quintet Ozma, whose brand of Weezer-soaked, harmony-laden tunefulness really struck a chord with the members of the audience, most of whom were singing right along.  Highlighted by the honky-tonk meets Queen pomp of “Eponine” and the captivating interplay between lead guitarist Ryen Slegr and keyboard gal Star Wick, Ozma’s allure and obvious talent for creating and performing well-written music was offset by a lack of suitable stage presence as well as bass player Daniel Brummel’s garish wardrobe.  However, Ozma’s tendency to constantly co-opt 80’s youth culture in their music (i.e. covering the Tetris theme, referring to Back to the Future and Super Mario Bros.) was mildly disturbing, and reeked of exploitation. 
     Finally, just before eleven o’clock, Nada Surf jogged onto the stage, and launched into the opening chords of “Hyperspace,” the inaugural track on their brilliant new album The Proximity Effect.  The threesome of New Yorkers was all smiles, and immediately established a rapport with the crowd, emphasizing over and over how excited they were to be playing.  The audience reciprocated, hooting and hollering its approval of classic tracks from Nada Surf’s 1996 debut High/Low like “Stalemate” and “Icebox,” as well as shouting out requests for more songs, new or old.
“Play them all!” cried out one member of the congregation to the laughter of the band and assembly alike.
     Pounding on the drums and contributing vital sass was the lanky Ira Elliot, who, adorned in a cowboy hat and polka dot shirt, thrilled the throng with his acrobatic style and stage banter.  Spanish native Daniel Lorca filled out the trio’s sound with dead-on backing vocals and his thick, guttural basslines, which supplied punch and vigor to, among others, the clamorous “Bacardi.”
     Helming the group was the charming Matthew Caws, who’s golden Les Paul effortlessly spewed skewed melodies that would make Stephen Malkmus green with envy.  A true treat was his unique, mellifluous voice—particularly on the jangly “Amateur”—which provided a disarming contrast to the cacophony that often emerged from his guitar.
     Other standouts of the set were the clap-along “Bad Best Friend,” a raucous take on “The Plan,” and several new songs, including the swirling “Treading Water.”
     The band closed out a two-song encore with “Spooky,” a song that could musically only be described by it’s title.  The refrain, “We were never so together,” seemed to ring especially true, as the audience and band left the venue mutually satisfied.

By Casey Lombardo
Long Beach Union

Originally printed 10.9.00

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