Picture Book and Live Review: Nada Surf @Vinyl

Review By Codi Glancy, Photos courtesy of Hillery Terenzi

There shouldn’t be any argument if someone said that Nada Surf is one of the best Indie bands ever. They’ve been a force to reckon with since the late 90s and are still pumping out great records to this day. They’ve been one of my favorite bands since high school and, with that being said, I was counting down the days until their show at Vinyl. I even cancelled all of my out-of-town 4th of July plans and don’t regret it at all.

I entered as the opening band, Waters, began their second song. I’ve never really heard of them, but I was more than blown away by their set. I cannot express how exciting lead singer, Van Pierszalowski (ex Port O’Brien), is to watch live. He sings through the side of his mouth, he whips his hair back and forth, and he plays with the biggest amount of energy and intensity that you really don’t see too often any more. That alone, creates a good show. Musically, Waters seem to rival bands like Lower Dens and Other Lives when it comes to a similar sound and level of popularity. The band possesses a loud a sort of fuzzy sound with harsh vocals, clashing drums beats and muddy chords.

As, Waters left the stage, Nada Surf took their time to take the stage. The crowd waited impatiently, but once the band finally started, they began with a cheerful greeting full of gratitude and then the first song off their newest album. Everyone began to sing along, and the joy of audience never left as the band played well over an hour and half. Lead singer, Matthew Caws, has one of the best on stage presences I’ve ever seen. He appeared humble, happy and funny as he smiled and cracked jokes to the crowded room in between song transitions. As Nada Surf played, it became apparent that are the kings of the live show. Each song they played sounded just as clear as the studio recordings, but with unique little twists of their performance.

Towards the end of the set, the listeners were filled to the brim with almost all of Nada Surf’s best known songs. Their 23 song long set contained fan favorites and hits from all five of their studio album releases, including “Weightless,” “Your Legs Grow,” “Happy Kid,” and “Treehouse.” The only song that was missed was “Popular,” which doesn’t even fit into their roster (but still would have been nice to hear). The four song encore included Let Go’s “Inside of Love.” Before starting, Caws asked the crowd to slowly two step along with the song, creating an in sync sway throughout Vinyl.
Like I said before, this was one of my favorite concerts of the year. I think it’s rare to watch a band that genuinely there just to show their fans a great time. I had extremely high expectations for the Nada Surf, and filled them all plus more. This may had been my first time seeing the band, but I promise it won’t be my last.

Full Gallery and Review after the jump…

Set List:
1. Clear Eye Clouded Mind
2. Waiting For Something
3. Happy Kid
4. What is Your Secret
5. Teenage Dreams
6. Weightless
7. Killian’s Red
8. Whose Authority
9. Jules and Jim
10. Your Legs Grow
11. Amateur
12. 80 Windows
13. When I was Young
14. Treehouse
15. Paper Boats
16. Hi-Speed Soul
17. Looking Through
18. See These Bones
19. Yer Head