Nada Surf: Good For Mixtapes and For Saving Marriages

So, you know how sometimes when you're at a concert and someone yells from the rear of the crowd for the band to play a certain song? Perhaps it's a local cover band and some hillbilly urges them to play "Freebird" or it's a national band and the fan in the audience cries for the one song that's overplayed and the band never wants to touch ever again. well, Monday night, I was that asshole. I never do it but I had come to the show with my hopes high on hearing one song in particular, "Blonde On Blonde", my favorite tune of theirs. Well guess what happened at the Nada Surf concert?

Wait...

Shit!...

Ok, back. Damn it! Here's an off the subject question. Who burns Mac and Cheese? Me. That's who. I was so excited and so involved in assembling this entry that I forgot I had noodles boiling on the stove. I smelled the smoke and found the macaronis simmering in their own juices with no water left. Now I have a summer camp, arts and crafts version of a pot. The inside of it has the imprint of the burnt macaroni's. God, I suck. Where was I?...

I know this is scatterbrained but my introduction is terrible. I'm getting way ahead of myself. Let's start at the beginning.

Monday night, June 2nd, 2008 my girl, Rachel, and I drove south to Miami to watch Nada Surf live at Studio A. I was as stoked to see them as I was when I went to see Radiohead a few weeks ago but for totally different reasons. A millenia ago when I was but a wee lad in the year nineteen ninety and six, there was a little ditty of a song that was raping the charts called "Popular" by a new nerd rock band bearing the moniker Nada Surf. All the boys and girls knew it, sang it, and loved it. It was a hit. And then...nothing. Nada Surf was quickly relegated to one hit wonder status by the end of the decade.

Christ this Mac and Cheese is cheesy. One new box of noodles and two packs of cheese powder. It's like eating the thickest, tastiest yellow glue ever. But I digress...

I personally checked out Nada Surf's album "High/Low" at the now defunct Blockbuster Music store by my house. I sat there at the kiosk and listened to every song. I established a rule long ago that I have to like at least 3 songs on an album to purchase it. This was prudent of course considering that at the time cd's were damn near 20 bucks and mp3's hadn't taken over the world yet. I didn't buy "High/Low" and left the store disappointed.

Six years later, I was doing the usual searching of new music when I came across a glowing review of an album called "Let Go". It was Nada Surf. The name struck a chord in my brain and I said to myself out loud "They're still around?" Yes they were and fuck me sideways were they super awesomely great now. "Let Go" blew my mind. It is the greatest album they or many, many other bands have ever put out. I was instantly in love. I was especially smitten with "Blonde On Blonde" the track I alluded to earlier.

Since then, they've released two more album, "The Weight Is a Gift" in 2005 and "Lucky" just this year. Both albums continue the solid tradition of warm, energetic and fun songs they established with "Let Go". Considering all that, I expected a lot from them on Monday and man did they deliver. I wasn't even upset that security let us in an hour late. The boys of Nada Surf are apparently quite anal about their sound and I'm thankful for that. Their set lasted over and hour and a half and went as follows:

1. Hi-Speed Soul (4:39)
2. Happy Kid (4:09)
3. Whose Authority (3:01)
4. What Is Your Secret (3:24)
5. Weightless (3:32)
6. Killian's Red (6:13)
7. I Like What You Say (3:08)
8. Inside Of Love (4:58)
9. Fruit Fly (4:34)
10. 80 Windows (4:25)
11. Ice On The Wing (3:48)
12. Paper Boats (7:09)
13. Do It Again (3:38)
14. Beautiful Beat (4:38)
15. See These Bones (5:10)

ENCORE
16. Blizzard Of '77 (2:09)
17. Blonde On Blonde (4:35)
18. Always Love (3:20)
19. Blankest Year (2:13)

The highlights of the show included "Fruit Fly" where after every lyric Matthew sang, Daniel (who's a Spaniard as I found out later) would repeat it in a Spanish translation specifically for the Miami crowd; "Blonde On Blonde" was a highlight for me not only because it's my favorite but also because when I shouted the request and I was standing practically at his feet, Matthew pointed at me and gave me a thumbs up. First time I've done that and it worked! I'm going to start shouting requests at people and see if I have the magic touch elsewhere. "I want extra toppings and I don't want to pay for it!", "Give me your virginity!" Et cetera; "Blankest Year" was their closing song and Matthew encouraged the entire audience to sing along the chorus "Aw, FUCK IT! I'm gonna have a party!" Anytime you get a crowd to sing and cuss simultaneously, it's good times.

So in short, the concert was a blast, but so was the after party where Rachel and I hung out with Nada Surf.

I originally intended to arrange a formal interview with the band. Hold on, who is "the band?" Glad you asked.

Matthew Caws - Lead vocals, lead guitar. I never got to speak to him personally because he left earlier than the other guys. He's not just a rock star, he's also a grown up with a family and the man was tired so I hold no grudge, only gratitude. I dubbed him "The Professor" because a) he looks like one and b) Ira told me both his parents actually are professors. Go figure.

Daniel Lorca - Bass guitar, back up vocals. - This man bought me and my girlfriend beers. Coronas. How fucking cool and nice is that? I spoke to him some at the bar, mostly in Spanish about being Spanish. Rachel spoke to him about his dreads which he got pretty much by accident after surfing in the Canary Islands. I later overheard him talking to some guys about politics. Ironic how bassists and drummers are so chatty and usually lead singers aren't. Speaking of drummers...

Ira Elliot - Drums, back up vocals. - Friendliest dude ever. Ira is so energetic on and off the stage that by the end of the night, in my head, I'd christened him "Shades." If he wore sunglasses while playing, he'd be the true life incarnation of the drummer from the movie "That Thing You Do." He was the first I spoke to. It was before the show and I was waiting for Rachel while she went potty. I stood next to the mini bar near the stage and there stood a tall lanky, oddly familiar man. I Googled Nada Surf on my cell phone and pulled up some band pictures. Lo and behold there was Ira. I double checked with Rachel when she came out of the bathroom and she confirmed it. This man who chatting with the bartender and had no one bothering him was Ira Elliot. So what did I do? I bothered him. It's from our conversation that I derived the title of this post. I was telling him how I introduced Rachel to Nada Surf through mixtapes. He said that he hears that a lot, how their songs are great for mixtapes, and he loves it. The conversation reminded Ira of something. He told me the story of a man he met in a record store a while back. Apparently, this man was a photographer or an artist of some kind. His job kept him away from home most of the time and his girlfriend was over it. She left him. An hour later she called him and told him to listen to the Nada Surf song "Concrete Bed". She said that was him. His eyes were opened to what he was doing to her and apparently it all worked out. They got married soon after.

I also spoke briefly to their amazing musical handyman, Jim and their keyboardist, Gavin. Imagine if you can, perfectly tuning a guitar while standing next to a live band, blaring speakers and a screaming crowd. Not easy. Also, not a problem for Jim. Impressive. Gavin has a pornstache if I ever saw one. I remarked to Ir, "Does Gavin know he looks like 70's pornstar?" And Ira replied, "Yeah, he does. And revels in it." Which I thought was even more fitting when I looked over at he bar and saw Gavin making googley eyes at my girlfriend. That's fine with me. She's hot. I kind of felt bad when I went over and started chatting with him because I didn't purposely mean to cock block him, I just wanted to talk to everyone. He's a really nice guy and took my admiration/obsession with his mustache in stride and with a smile. He told how he was an old friend of the band's and they needed a keyboardist for the tour and here he was in Miami. Next up was the beach and Disneyworld because despite the fact that rock bands tour the country they're not really on vacation. They're working. That's what I tell people when they come into my restaurant. yeah, you're here for a meal and a night out on the town and good times. But I'm fucking working. So fuck you. Tip me.

The night had to end eventually and it did. I had school in the morning and Rachel had work. We bid the band adieu and drove home. This was one of, if not the best, concert experiences I've ever had and I want to thank Nada Surf (and my girl) for that. I hope the general public can move past "Popular" and listen to all their other work. You might love it or you might hate it but it could also save your relationship. (I know, this ending is as cheesy as my Mac and Cheese. But hey, I like it. Live with it.)