Hopelessly dated perhaps for no other reason than I live in Salt Lake City, nonetheless I’ve tried not to make this blog the subject for outright ridicule by posting about music in November that is, you know, so late-March, early-April. Tonight I fail outright by writing about 2009 blog darling Surfer Blood…and fully a month after I caught their October 8 show.
The Florida Atlantic University kids did just play a triumphant set at New York’s Webster Hall that earned them a fawning writeup at vanityfair.com. Nevertheless, I pray for a bit of a pass by pleading “massive computer failure” in the interceding month since the Urban Lounge show. It’s been long enough in fact that I only recall a few vivid impressions to pass along and otherwise just wanted to post some images from the night.
First, JP Pitts may have all the riffs, but still looks to be about 14 years old. Second, debut album Astrocoast definitely holds up live. Third, my only disappointment, I was really hoping things would get a little crunched-up from the studio polish but it felt pretty by-the-numbers to me. I certainly thought “Floating Vibes” or the titanic hook of original single “Swim” would put the show over the top but they really didn’t. I even remember thinking, “I really need ‘Over The Top’ tonight.” If anything, it was somewhat restrained and bloodless. At 14 (or 24 actually…I believe it was the day after Mr. Pitts’ birthday) he has plenty of time to put a rougher edge on things.
Opener Drums were just a visual feast. Jonathon Pierce strutted, danced, and sensually mussed the hair of an audience member as he crooned a moment from the band’s self-titled debut. The reverb was great and all but Pierce’s vocals disappeared in the mix.
