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My Good Friday visit to the Paradise Rock Club came after a 26 year hiatus from Boston clubbing! Seeing this show was my birthday present to myself, and what a treat it was to see Nada Surf for the first time.
Opening for Nada Surf were Australian indie rockers, An Horse, comprised of Kate Cooper on guitar and Damon Cox on percussion. The two were championed by Tegan and Sara, whose tour they joined in 2008. The group has also toured with Death Cab for Cutie and now, Nada Surf. I thought they had an interesting sound, and both musicians were engaging. They had quite a full sound, considering it was only the two of them.
After An Horse’s 40 minute set, the Nada Surf crew quickly went into action, and before long, one of New York’s finest bands hit the stage. This tight trio was joined by axeman extraordinaire Doug Gillard (Guided by Voices) and Martin Wenk (Calexico) on keyboards, guitar, and trumpet. The joy with which these guys play music is patently obvious, and their high level of musicianship was greatly appreciated by this concert-goer.
The amiable, sweet-voiced Matthew Caws was a delight throughout, weaving his mostly upbeat tales with finely wrought guitar work. From the opening “Clear Eyed Clouded Mind” to his cautionary tale of “No Snow on the Mountain” to the stunning solo turn on “Your Legs Grow”, Caws had the audience eating out of his hand. The entire front row was singing along throughout the concert, and practically everyone was grinning the whole time. On the lovely “Weightless”, Matthew asked the audience to join in singing along, and it truly sounded beautiful. There is something so joyful and infectious about the brand of indie power pop Nada Surf delivers, that I want everyone to know about this group.
I want them to see the dreadlocked Daniel Lorca playing the crap out of his bass, Ira Elliot’s deft work on the drums, or the wonderful fretboard work Doug Gillard contributes, such as the beautiful guitar solo in “When I Was Young.” And then there’s the tremendous rush I get from hearing Martin Wenk’s unexpected trumpet flourishes on different songs. Joined with frontman Caws, these five gents wove a gorgeous sonic tapestry that left me mesmerized.
During their 90 minute set, they played a good segment of their latest album, The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy, balanced with a sampling of songs from most of their albums, plus a cover by The Gravel Pit (“Something’s Growing Inside”), a band they toured with back in the 1990’s. They finished off with a three song encore that closed with “Blankest Year”. Nada Surf is truly a band at the top of its game, and one that you should go out and see while you still can. After 18 years, who knows how long they will keep doing this? My hope is forever, as they’re making some of the best music of their career.
