Just got lucky

Some more pics and comments from last night's Nada Surf show last night at the Gibson showroom. I think it was filled with industry types--not just "journalists" like us but movies and licensing people. Singer Matthew Caws sheepishly introduced "Unpopular" (the only song in the set not from the new Lucky album) by pointing out that it was not licensed (heeding the urges of the band's manager).


In this picture, you can kind of see the box that drummer Ira Eliot was sitting on/using for percussion. It actually sounded pretty good. He had a tambourine on his foot, too. The cellist's instrument was like a stick with no body! It sounded fine, though.


This pic gives a better idea of the room's size--literally a showroom, where I imagine big-time rock stars can pull an axe off the wall, step on the stage, and take the instrument for a test ride. On a flatscreen, a loop showed famous musicians playing Gibsons (Madonna, Brian Wilson, Paul McCartney, etc.) in concert, on TV shows, and at the spot where we were standing. Nonetheless, Daniel Lorca was handling a Fender bass.

It was a pleasure to see the band in an intimate, nearly uncomfortable setting and pulling off their delicately layered harmonies on super catchy indie rock songs like "Whose Authority" and "Weightless" with some acoustic instruments and no problems at all. No luck for anyone else, though. The band has two sold-out hometown shows in NYC and then take off to Europe for a string of gigs...