popwreckoning

Kansas City radio station 96.5. the Buzz started the outdoor summer season off with a sold out fest: Buzz Under the Stars. Though newcomers Mumford and Sons have just one album under their belt and have only been known stateside for about a year, Kansas City was eager to hear their banjo-blazing folk tunes. Rounding out the sold out bill was Cake, a band that has only gained in popularity since their first hits in the 90s. Despite the sweltering heat, the audience excitement levels never wavered, participating in big singalongs with both bands.

Photographer Erica Cassella was at the event and shares these photos from the concert:

Seven years is quite the break between albums. With a hiatus that long, a band risks losing fans or having a sound that’s no longer relevant to what people are listening to.  Fortunately, neither of these are the case with Showroom of Compassion. Cake has tried some new stuff with this record while maintaining their usual sound enough to keep their original fans happy, while hopefully adding some new, most likely younger, listeners to the flock.

Showroom of Compassion opens with “Federal Funding,” a politically-themed song filled with John McCrea’s usual dry tone (this time with some reverb) and a simple guitar riff. All of this is accompanied by the usual slightly funky sound and some brass to top it all off. This song marks some of the departures Cake has made from their usual sound, namely the slower pace at which this song plays. Don’t fear, for it works quite well, but does not set up the pace of the album very well.

If you’re looking for more traditional Cake, then you should skip ahead to “Long Time” and “Sick of You,” the latter being the first single off of the album. These songs also contain the usual dry tone of McCrea along with the familiar brass and gang vocal choruses. At the same time, these songs mark some departures for the band that may not have been intentional. The production value of the entire album is not quite on mark with their first five albums. This could be due to the independent recording (in a solar-powered studio) of the album.

Showroom of Compassion is Cake trying new genres, instruments, structures and more. It is an album that shows a slight bit more range and shows even more promise of what will hopefully come from them in the future. If you’re a Cake fan, you’ll love Showroom. If you’ve never heard of Cake or weren’t too crazy about them before, please give this a listen. Even if you don’t like it, you will only have wasted 40 minutes. That’s something we can all live with.

Track Listing:
1. Federal Funding
2. Long Time
3. Got To Move
4. What’s Now Is Now
5. Mustache Man (Wasted)
6. Teenage Pregnancy
7. Sick Of You
8. Easy To Crash
9. Bound Away
10. The Winter
11. Italian Guy

Cake can be found here:
Website
Myspace
Last FM
Facebook

With a lineup like 107.7 The End’s annual Deck the Hall Ball had, one should have expected a multi-faceted night of music, which is exactly what we got. That lineup included Sleigh Bells, The Temper Trap, the return of Cake, Jimmy Eat World, the Black Keys, and Broken Bells, who closed out the night.

Starting the 6-hour marathon of some of the most played acts on The End was buzzband Sleigh Bells, who clearly had the most attitude out of all the bands. Singer Alexis Krauss sported silver spandex leggings and pristine white Keds and guitarist Derek Miller walked out with jeans and a black hoodie, and brought some of the loudest music I’d ever heard. It was so loud I suspected problems with the sound system, but standing further away from the stage was much better than being right up close where I was. The pairing of Miller and Krauss is an odd one, as Krauss has a hard and sexy stage presence. With how much of their live songs include a backing track, you almost wondered if Miller’s guitar was even on. Even though there were sound issues, it was still nice to see The End giving a newer band a spot at the show.

After that, all the music of the night was basically the playlist that The End has been featuring for the last year – with the bands playing as well as the songs playing during intermissions. When Cee Lo Green’s “F*ck You” played over the PA system (completely uncensored!) all the excited fans squished up against the barrier as well as us photographers in the pit sang along to the catchy lament.

The Temper Trap was up next, starting the dance number “Fader” off Conditions. Having seen The Temper Trap twice before in the last seven months, I could almost expect what the set list would be, but the Temper Trap never fails to please me. Since it was a radio show and they only had so much time to play, they ended up playing all the really strong songs off the album, so nothing seemed like filler. The double-header of “Resurrection” and “Drum Song” was the highlight of their set, even overshadowing the crowd favorite “Sweet Disposition” which closed their set. Honestly, that song is getting old, so I enjoyed the lesser-known songs like the epic crescendo of “Science of Fear.”

Following the Temper Trap was the very triumphant return of Cake. I was honestly surprised so many people in the audience was so into them, because last year’s Deck the Hall Ball was full of teenyboppers, but this year’s crowd was much more old-school. I didn’t feel old this year, which was nice. I didn’t listen to Cake a lot before the show on my own time, but I was always pleased to hear them on the radio, and these guys can still put on a great show. With old favorites like “Comfort Eagle,” “Never There” and “Short Skirt Long Jacket,” as well as newest “Sick of You,” off Showroom of Compassion out next month. I guarantee they couldn’t have found a more fun band all in their forties, and lead singer John McCrea put on a great show while having so much fun with this room of mostly kids.

Shortly after Cake, we were told that there was going to be a special guest to come out and play a couple songs. It being Seattle, and myself looking into it way too much when I heard a Pearl Jam song over the loudspeaker, I thought Eddie Vedder. He’s been known to make unexpected appearances at shows all around Seattle, so it could have happened. But I was mistaken; the Presidents of the United States of the America jumped out on stage with joy, met with an equally joyous response from the crowd.

“We came to the door and wanted to get in, and they said it was sold out. They told us that we’d have to sing a song to get in,” lead singer Andrew McKeag told the room.

Instead of playing classic PUSA songs like “Lump” or “Peaches,” they busted out with “Snow Miser” from the stop-motion classic The Year Without A Santa Claus, which was a nice tip of the hat to the holiday season, and a nice way to bring the whole show back to the local level, seeing that none of the bands playing were from Seattle. PUSA’s appearance exemplified The End’s motto “Seattle’s original alternative.”

Jimmy Eat World was next, starting off with “Bleed American,” which was one clue as to what kind of songs they’d be playing for their set. I was so pleasantly surprised to know that a majority of their songs were vintage Jimmy Eat World, because these were songs from my early teen years, when “emo” was all the rage, and still good. It made it apparent that Jimmy Eat World knew what the audience wanted, not just what would sell more copies of their new record. We got “The Middle,” “A Praise Chorus,” “If You Don’t, Don’t,” “Get It Faster,” and one of my favorite ballads ever, “Hear You Me.” I was seriously sitting on the side of the room going through my pictures singing along to all the words. Even sweeter was their cover of Wham’s “Last Christmas,” which I actually have in my iTunes library, so it wasn’t entirely unfamiliar to me like most people.

But none of the bands until then matched up to the Black Keys. After seeing their performance at Deck the Hall Ball, I’m kicking myself that I didn’t go to their show in September. Not only was their album “Brothers” highly-critically-acclaimed this year, but also Dan Auerbach’s blues rock swagger mixed with Patrick Carney’s tremendous energy behind the drums make it impossible to take your eyes off them. Thank goodness there are only two of them, or else you’d have a hard time catching all the awesome. A few stand-out tracks were “Howlin’ for You,” “Everlasting Light” and the hugely popular (almost overplayed) “Tighten Up.” I’ll say that this was the one band that stuck out in several ways – the crowd they brought was easily recognizable, and they were on a completely other level than the other bands playing. You don’t hear much blues-rock anymore on mainstream radio other than the White Stripes, and the old-school attitude of the Black Keys was so refreshing.

I assumed that after the Black Keys, Broken Bells would be quite anti-climactic. In fact, when I saw the lineup a month ago, I was confused as to why Broken Bells were the headliners in the first place. They’re very low-energy compared to the rest of the bands playing that night. I’m sorry to say that my assumption was correct, even though their performance was tweaked a bit since their sold-out show at the Showbox back in May to be more suited to the big room. The songs had a bit more oomph than they previously had, but James Mercer and Dangermouse’s Broken Bells still couldn’t stand up to the Black Keys live performance before them.

To be quite honest, I left a bit early as to avoid the traffic getting out of the parking garage, but I left way more satisfied than I thought I would be before I arrived. The End had done well this year bringing the buzz. I got in my car, turned on my iPod and played Cake, Jimmy Eat World, and the Black Keys all the way home.

The words “Beach Ball” conjure up images of sun, warmth, sand and water. Well Kansas City music lovers that headed to 96.5 the Buzz’s Beach Ball battled clouds, cold, mud and the threat of constant rain. Nonetheless, the swift disappearance of Summer and harsh realities of Fall didn’t stop this outdoor music fest from being a success. Fans were smart enough to don jackets and ponchos before heading out to see the Smashing Pumpkins, Cake, Anberlin and more.

While typical festival complaints would have been that each act had too short of a set, the rapid pace of the double stages and short sets worked in favor for this fest. It gave people less time to dwell in one location feeling too cold or getting bored with any act that wasn’t their cup of tea and giving up on the fest and going home.

AM Taxi had the privilege of kicking off the 5th Buzz Beach Ball. The rockers thrashed about the stage while fans shook rain sprinkles off their shoulders to raise fists to pump to “Fed Up.” Cooled down music and cooled down temps quickly followed their set as the folk rock of locals Dreams Are For Rookies rapidly followed on the second stage. The group puts a twist on the typical folk rock with the rich adornment of a cello.

After the Homegrown act finished, it was back down the hill for dark piano rockers Civil Twilight. A surprising amount of audience members knew more about this South African band’s songs than just set closer, “Letters from the Sky,” and the band took kindly to this warm response by delivering a set with more energy and flair than the last time I saw them in a dark Lawrence venue.

The rain thickened during what should have been local act Six Percent’s set time up at the second stage. However, the band was delayed by the challenge of an uncovered stage, so this half hour was treated as ‘time to eat warm food’ while concert workers attempted to make a makeshift cover for the act set to follow.

Fortunately, The Limousines weren’t deterred by the rain and played one of the most fun sets of the entire day. The quirky dance rock trio got the crowd moving and singing to “Very Busy People” and by the time they reached new hit “Internet Killed the Video Star,” everyone had a smile as they danced and shouted, “I’m a terrible dancer, I ain’t gonna lie, but I’ll be damned if I ain’t gonna try.” These guys have only gotten better since their last buzz show and their energy is contagious.

A Silent Film were this mystery act from the UK. Audience members had only recently started hearing the Keane-esque “You Will Leave a Mark” on the radio, but it quickly rose up the request lines. But aside from that song, little else was known about these guys. Heck, they hadn’t even played a show in the States before, so they probably knew even less about their audience in return. So whether out of curiosity or genuine love, the lawn was packed to watch these boys on the second stage. For their debut, US performance, even in the most miserable conditions, they killed it. Heavy piano chords and big drums made for a perfectly beautiful outdoor set that almost seemed to clear the skies and bring out the stars by the pure magic of it. Below you can find a video from their first ever United States show.

Anberlin followed A Silent Film with another high energy rock set. The guys are frequent faces at these Buzz events and just like the Limousines, they only seem to get better each time. Though they played songs from their entire higher catalog, they heavily promoted their latest release that came out just a week prior to this show.

Local ska act, Six Percent, delayed by the rain earlier, took to the second stage after Anberlin’s set and played a brass heavy set of covers and original songs. While some covers, “Final Countdown,” were triumphant, others such as a Weezer cover left a lot to be desired.

Beach Ball alumni Cake has been kind of silent on the new music front, but as they showed at Buzz Beach Ball, they have plenty of new material they’re ready to release in January. Half their set seemed to be new songs, but they still helped the audience quickly learn these tunes for singing along before the speak-f0lk rock act brought out some better known songs such as “Going the Distance.”

Local darling Beautiful Bodies showed why they’re on the top of the local food chain as they closed out the second stage sets. Front woman Alicia Solo came out wrapped in Buzz banners before breaking out and starting the rock. The group treated their performance as a celebration, sipping champagne and flashing sly smiles as they broke out new tunes after a year-long absence from the local music scene.

The Smashing Pumpkins. What can be said that can even measure up to the surreality of seeing one of the most influential rock groups? Sure the line-up has changed over the years, but Billy Corgan is still on top of his game. This set gave all the hits a fan could want and more. Throw in the addition of a breath-taking stage set with mosaic windmills and you have a perfect way to end out the night. It was well worth the wait through cold and rain for this.

Welcome back, readers!  Last week we noshed on Sacramento’s finest CAKE and had ourselves a little e-ball (well, I sure as hell did.  You may have too).  This week’s post was about as contrived as an unplanned pregnancy scare considering I recently stumbled upon Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore‘s 50 First Dates, their second RomCom collab since The Wedding Singer (one of my all-time favorites), and I definitely drew inspiration from it.  In fact, the movie was surprisingly enjoyable and dare I say cute as hell.  Normally, I enjoy the RomCom’s that require you to think with a more intellectual heart (See: High Fidelity, About A Boy… basically, anything that was once a Nick Hornby novel), but this no-brainer’s killer soundtrack effortlessly kept me from hitting the power button off.  Maybe it was the fact that the movie takes place in beautiful Hawaii, but the entire soundtrack consists of sunny cover versions of songs that were originally recorded in the 1980s.  If this weren’t intriguing enough, all the delightful interpretations are upbeat and of the reggae and/or ska persuasion.  What?  My once hepcat ass was reeling as I made it through the movie cataloging which songs they chose for each scene.  It’s a good thing the film was actually worthwhile because if it was half as awful as I’d originally suspected, 50 First Dates would have climbed very high on my “Movies That Should Have Gone Straight To Soundtrack” list.

Considering the fact that my 50 First Dates viewing pleasure was recent, I did not have sufficient time to properly listen to the entire soundtrack, so you know what that means.  Yes, this will be a 2-parter.  And what better way to satiate my readers than kicking things off by getting the heavily commercialized 311 cover of The Cure‘s “Lovesong” out of the way.  And to the folks at home, mahola nui loa for reading…  and, as always, stay tuned.
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The Cure’s “Lovesong” (original: 1989)
Quasi-Cure fan, über-Cure fan or just plain musically oblivious, I could probably never have a meaningful friendship with someone who has never, at the very least, heard this classic love song.  You’re probably looking at a superficial connection at best.  Hell, the chances of a potential relationship would basically be DOA, too.  Yeah, that’s really a testament to how incredible this song really is.  Written for then fiancee Mary Poole as a wedding present, lead singer Robert Smith once again sets the relationship bar very high for clueless men who think half-assed pick up lines will do just fine.  I’ve read that Poole not only inspired “Just Like Heaven” as a friend, but got “Lovesong” too… just for being more than his friend!?  Sigh, what an honor.  “However far away, however long I say, whatever words I say, I will always love you…” Damn, that’s romantic.  And a much more eloquent way of assuring your lady that you won’t cheat on her when your band is on tour, no matter how much boy band ass is lined up outside the tour bus.  Teenage Twi-hards probably think Robert Pattinson is responsible for putting the brooding, British male on the map.  Ahh, silly youth of today.  I wholeheartedly disagree since Smith’s been making a career out of this for several decades and probably looks twice as good in guyliner than Pattinson.

311 – “Lovesong” (cover: 2004)
Don’t you love it when a reggae-meets-alt-rock band like 311 scores a #1 hit on the Modern Rock Track chart with a Cure cover when the original only made it to #2 on the same chart back in its heyday?  WTF?  Just another non sequitur of the modern music world that makes it hard to keep the faith (or whatever’s left of said faith) alive.  In keeping with the tropical, ethereal feel of the movie, lead singer Nick Hexum takes things down a notch with a slower-paced, melodic “Lovesong” that fits in seamlessly with their catalog of easy, breezy stoner surf-rock.  I expect nothing less than relaxing reggae-rock from the band that brought us the beautifully hazy “Amber,” a song that practically serves as the musical equivalent to laying in a hammock in an island paradise.  This Cure cover is dripping with heavy mood and contains all the same longing, yearning, promising, and professing of the original.  The shreds of guitar cut through the track like a knife, the bass line could lull the sleepless better than Ambien, and Hexum’s lazy vocals calm the stormiest of souls. If a pot-smoking couple is looking for a song to soundtrack that fleeting moment when you are admiring your significant other’s sparkly eyes and dilated pupils in the moonlight (regardless of the fact that his/her inability to yet master the “puff, puff, pass” etiquette grates on you), this lovely song is probably as good as it’s going to get.

Welcome back and uber-apologies, readers!  In case you’ve been wondering where my Carmen Sandiego ass has been the last 2 weeks, well, I’ll tell you.  The Californication and the splendor of the Pacific Ocean swallowed me whole and took away my ability to write anything worth reading.  I can’t explain it, really.  I’m not sure if it was all the sun, the Mexican good eats, the clear weather, laid-back vibe, or the fact that I came home in a bigger funk than when I left for The Golden State, but something shifted in the overhead compartment in my head during flight.  But please note– I am back, somewhat.  Whatever the fuck that means.

My last two posts were decidedly Kanye-esque (8/19 | 8/26) and you would think his recent VMAs fuckery would inspire a third installment, right?  Well, I am happy to report that I’m all Kanye-ed out and will not be mentioning his bitchass for a while.  As if his famewhoring ego needs any more attention, as is.  The one good thing is I did listen to lots of music in Cali, particularly copious amounts of Jimmy Eat World, Ted Leo, Arctic Monkeys, and assure you this will jumpstart a slew of new Under Cover posts I am amped to share.  This week will be dedicated to covers by CAKE, the Sacramento-based band that I spent a good chunk of time falling back in love with while driving around the quaint areas of San Diego, plus I even got to catch them live while there (review to follow!).  I’ve been listening to so much CAKE lately that I don’t even have the time to eat cake, let alone bake one.  Who doesn’t love a band who has made a career out of clever usage of trumpet, the occasional Moog, witty wordplay, and half-spoken half-singing vocals?  Seriously.  Here.  Enjoy a nice, big spoonful of e-CAKE.
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.CAKE – “I Will Survive” (Gloria Gaynor cover)
If you’ve never heard Gloria Gaynor‘s original version then clearly you’ve never turned on a radio, gone to a school dance, or suffered through a painfully fun karaoke night at any bar in anytown, USA.  Perhaps the de facto female empowerment anthem of this century (chill Aretha, I’ve mentioned you before), I love to hate this song, hate that I love it, and apparently CAKE felt the need to put their own jazzy spin on it from the male point of view.  I love lead singer John McCrea‘s deadpan vocals, the general “fuck you, I don’t need you” attitude, the mariachi-style trumpet outro that perfectly complements the swan song feel, and the profanity.  I read this is Gaynor’s least favorite version due to the profanity (they switched her “I should have changed that stupid lock!” to “I should have changed my fucking lock!”), but for me this actually just gives me more reason to love it.  Ha.
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.CAKE – “Mah nà, Mah nà” (The Muppets cover)
If you grew up on Sesame Street, then you should instantly recognize this song that was popularized by those ever-nutty Muppets.  It’s irritating as hell, it sticks in your head, you’ll find yourself humming it without even realizing why or where it’s from… yeah, it’s just that awesome.  This cover is just so gosh darn cute and a pretty ingenious selection to feature on a B-sides and Rarities album.  I love the syncopated guitar riffs, hand claps, morsels of Moog, the dude who sporadically yells in the background, and the repetitive “mah nà, mah nà” that basically sounds like The Muppets were in the studio with CAKE.  Mah nà, mah nà, do do do do do.
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.CAKE – “War Pigs” (Black Sabbath cover)
Okay, so I don’t really think Ozzy Osbourne when I listen to CAKE, but maybe they’re huge Black Sabbath fans?  I’m going to go ahead and forgive them for this cover because it may only have been done to pay homage to a band they dig, but it’s sort of awful.  When they sing “Now in darkness world stops turning, as you hear the bodies burning” while lacing in a little Moog, it doesn’t send the same chills down my back as when Ozzy sings the same lyrics all ominous and prophetic.  I can’t really take this rendition seriously, it’s a doozy.
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.CAKE – “Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps” (Osvaldo Farrés cover)
“You won’t admit you love me, and so… how am I ever to know?  You only tell me ‘Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.’” Man, that sounds irritating as hell.  Originally known as “Quizás, Quizás, Quizás,” (or “Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps” in English) this flirty gem of a little song about confronting a wishy-washy lover was written by Cuban songwriter Osvaldo Farrés, translated into English lyrics by Joe Wilson, used in countless movies, and popularized by the likes of Doris Day (my favorite version), Nat King Cole, and even the Spice Girls.  With CAKE’s slow groove and jazzy latin flair, the muted drum rolls and saucy trumpet, this song comes alive in new ways, especially since I’ve never heard a male version before. The Doris Day version always makes me want to learn the tango and dance a wishy-washy pseudo-boyfriend off a cliff if he keeps perhaps-ing my ass to death.  CAKE’s version just makes me want to blast it while throwing the aforementioned dude’s clothes and assorted unmentionables off my balcony.
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Produced in association with one of Southern California’s premier rock venues, The Casbah, San Diego heats things up on August 28th & 29th with their 25th Annual Street Scene in the East Village (and adjacent to Petco Park).  In essence, it’s the ultimate two-day musical block party and the perfect way to kiss summer goodbye.  So drop those world-famous fish tacos, hop in your car or on your surf board and get in on the excitement.  Last year they managed to score Beck, TV On The Radio, and Cold War Kids, among others, but it looks like they may have outdone themselves for this year (complete lineup here.).  Boasting over 40 bands, the multi-stage street set up features some of the biggest names in indie rock, alternative rock, hip hop and pop today that I’ll probably get into mutliple arguments with myself over which bands to check out.  Here’s a little taste of what to expect, if you can handle all the action:

Friday, August 28th
Black Eyed Peas, Modest Mouse, Cake, Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band, Band of Horses, Girl Talk, Devendra Banhart, Chromeo, Calexico, Matt & Kim, Deerhunter, Holy Fuck, Anya Marina

Saturday, August 29th
M.I.A., Thievery Corporation, The Dead Weather, Silversun Pickups, Of Montreal, The Faint, Busta Rhymes, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, No Age, Ra Ra Riot, Los Campesinos!

The show is rain or shine (who are we kidding, when does it ever rain in beautifully sunny San Diego!?).  Doors open: 4pm – midnight, both nights.  For $65 bucks, you can see 20+ bands in one day and it’s totally worth it.  There are also two-day passes, or the option of  VIP treatment if you’re above all that recession talk.  For additional ticket information, go here.  So, come celebrate the end of summer at this killer rock block party.  See you there!

Street Scene: website | tickets

My parents had strange rules about concerts. Due to their fears that I would fall prey to drugs, sex and alcohol or die in a mosh pit, I was not allowed to go to a music concert until I was 18. Even once I turned 18, I was nervous they would not let me go to a show until I was out of the house. A month after my 18th birthday they finally found a show they approved of for my first concert. It was a band called Relient K. They approved because of the band’s positive songs and Christian influences. I approved because I simply liked the music. The day of the show rolled around: February 14, 2005.

When I awoke that morning, I sat up in bed only to immediately fall back down as a wave of blackness crept into my vision. My head was warm. The day of my first concert and it looked like I would be too sick to attend. Young and naïve, I worried that if I didn’t go to this show, I would never get to go to another show. I took lots of medicine and reassured my parents that despite my looking like a zombie and barely being able to stand, I was perfectly fine to go to the concert. Sick and delirious, I went to my first Relient K show and first concert ever. Hopped up on medicine, I don’t remember much except being really happy. That was four years ago. I now attend concerts on a weekly basis. And amid my many concerts, I kind of forgot about Relient K. They weren’t regularly on the radio and thus they weren’t regularly on my radar. I also think that like so many, I kind of brushed off the Christian rock genre, and in doing that, brused them off as well. I now regret that.

Four years later, I again found myself at a Relient K concert. Though I had aged and the band had as well, the majority of the audience had not. The crowd was still comprised of high schoolers like the last time I had seen them. Those of their over 21 fans that were not afraid to admit they still loved this band just as much as when they were young, stood toward the back. Greatly outnumbered by screaming teens, I think these “old” people, myself included, felt a bit awkward.

As the first band, a local KC group called the Queen’s Club played their set, the young girls up front gushed. And it did seem a bit silly and I did feel out of place as the teensters fell for every strange gesture of the band. I, on the otherhand, thought their constant “Oh oh ohs,” long hair, mustaches, and partly open mouths combined with constant hip thrusts against their guitars made them look like porn stars. As they played into the extreme hormone levels of the pubescent kids up front and the only people confused enough to actually enjoy them, I think anybody older knew that actual sex would have been a better use of time than actually watching this band. Perhaps, I’m being too harsh, because this band does have a large following in KC, but I was not impressed.

The next group, Owl City, was a bit more my speed. These Minnesotans were almost too fluffy as they played in front of a screen with clouds and other images projected on it, but I still really loved them. As the three musicians played their synths and drums, the audience danced around to their electronica pop. I think with this singer’s voice and the music style, it was like if Early November’s Ace married Lights and their child was Owl City. Relient K’s Matt Thiessen joined the band for “Firefly” and I think all that was missing was Zac Efron before you had every young girl’s dream on stage.

As the typical championship music blasted over the speakers, Relient K finally took to the stage. Matt Thiessen’s curly blonde hair bounced back as he jumped on the drum stand and back down causing young girls to screame But Relient K is so much more than a band with an adorable frontman. They are really skilled and clever musicians, who don’t get enough credit for their craft. Perhaps, this is why the 21 and over crowd had to feel awkward that they were so outnumbered. At some point, the music scene starts to put pressure on music lovers and if you are expected to love darker, experimental bands that nobody has heard of to be cool as you get older. You can’t like “cute.” And yes, Relient K is “cute” in both the physical and musical sense. And as they sing songs about high school dances and sunny days, I can see why a person might feel like they have to “grow up” and “grow out” of Relient K.

Yet, as a I watched them perform after I had “grown up,” I realized that reasoning was stupid. Relient K is really talented and deserves more credit and more proud support from their older fans. Matt Thiessen juggled vocal duties with gorgeous piano melodies, guitar, and the occasional trumpet addition. The band backed him up with powerful chords, harmonies and lots of energy. Though Thiessen really is the star of this band. He has a distinct voice with great control. One moment he was intensely shouting during “Which to Bury, Us or the Hatchet” and the next he was singing in a near whispher as he crooned “Let It All” in a cathartic moment. The songs off the next album (Thiessen suggested Oct. 6 as a release date), also showed a more mature sound like the piano heavy title track “Forget and Not Slow Down.” Then, of course, you have a song like Relient K’s brilliant story of a man in his final moment in the nearly ten minute “Deathbed” that they played for an encore. They run the whole gambit of emotions and styles in this song and the lyrical construction is an astounding presentation of a man’s life story and acceptance of his death. If you haven’t heard this song, I suggest you check it out immediately and then try to deny loving Relient K.

Of course, it is nice to let loose and just enjoy how silly Relient K can be sometimes. That’s part of their charm and what makes them so fun.
They played up the goofiness of “Sadie Hawkins” and when it got to the final line,“Do you like my sweater,” Thiessen gave it new meaning by shaking his head in the middle and sending perspiration flying as he broke it down to, “Do you like my sweat…er?”

“You guys watch that show The Office?” said Thiessen at another point in the show. “It’s good. It’s about paper. We wrote a love song about it.” Then the band busted out a hilarious ditty that included lines like, “Angela, you are too cute to hang out with somebody like Dwight Schrute.” The song concluded with the actual theme song from The Office.

Then of course you had their great covers. They announced a cover of Cake’s “The Distance,” which was fun and different to hear them rap and play so much trumpet, but the best cover of the evening was a complete surprise. They started off with a nice instrumental jam that had audience members nodding a long and thinking, “Ok. This is nice, but what is this?” The answer: “Five. Five dollar foot loooooong.” That’s right, Relient K was covering the Subway commercial.

It made me sad when I realized the show was almost over. They ended with another new song, “This Is the End,” which Thiessen pointed out was “strategically placed.” It was an absolutely beautiful song that had Thiessen alone on the piano. As I watched his hands fly over the keys and listened to his voice, I can’t blame any of those girls in attendance from crushing on him.

It was impossible to not smile and be happy watching this band. I regret that it took me four years to see Relient K again and this show reminded me why I loved them so much in the first place. I think the band knows they have a young following, but I really would like to see the age range of their audience grow. I think what makes them so great is they have something for the teenies to enjoy and the parents. But I think the middle age range, those in their 20s and 30s, is really lacking in attendance and those people could do well to listen to this band more. They need music like this in their lives. I’m proud to say they were my first concert and that I’m still going to their shows.

So if you have brushed this band off in the past, de-hipster or do whatever you need to do to get Relient K in your life. Relient K is like Campbell’s Soup. They’re good for everyone’s soul.

Set List:
Chap Stick
Who I Am, Hates Who I’ve Been
High of 75
Forget and Not Slow Down
The Office
Mood Rings
$5 Foot Long
Sadie Hawkins
Lining Is Silver
The Thief
Which to Bury, Us or the Hatchet
Let It All Out
I Don’t Need a Soul
I Need You
The Distance
Be My Escape
This Is the End
//
Deathbed

Relient K: website | myspace | interview with: Matt Thiessen