The Hype: Surfer Blood have been riding a wave of buzz behind their catchy debut album, Astro Coast. A sign posted outside of the Detroit Bar informed patrons that the evening's performance was being filmed for Carson Daly. It seems that both the Detroit Bar and Surfer Blood were due for some national attention.
The Show: Fuzzy static guitars started to chime in unison during the opening of “Floating Vibes” as John Paul Pitts ironically sang to the Costa Mesa crowd they better “learn how to surf.” Borrowing pinches of Weezer harmonies and smudges of Pavement fuzz, Surfer Blood distill the musically interesting parts from their influences to create their own brand of noise.
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Drummer Tyler Schwarz and Percussionist Tyler Marchesani recreated
the tropical drumbeat of “Take It Easy,” while Thomas Fekete and Pitts
washed the crowd with their watery reverb guitar lines. “Harmonix” lives
up to its namesake by dueling pinch harmonics played by Pitts and
Fekete before devolving into a maelstrom of noise and feedback that had
both guitarists break strings on their guitars.
the tropical drumbeat of “Take It Easy,” while Thomas Fekete and Pitts
washed the crowd with their watery reverb guitar lines. “Harmonix” lives
up to its namesake by dueling pinch harmonics played by Pitts and
Fekete before devolving into a maelstrom of noise and feedback that had
both guitarists break strings on their guitars.
Pitts
had switched his Gibson SG for a Rickenbacker guitar that enhanced the
jangle of his sound. Name checking David Lynch in their lyrics for “Twin
Peaks,” the song sonically shifts from its Caribbean feel to a
slashing fuzzy romp. The undercurrent of synthesizers during “Fast
Jabroni” perfectly carry the rambling guitars with Pitts alternating
between speaking and singing.
had switched his Gibson SG for a Rickenbacker guitar that enhanced the
jangle of his sound. Name checking David Lynch in their lyrics for “Twin
Peaks,” the song sonically shifts from its Caribbean feel to a
slashing fuzzy romp. The undercurrent of synthesizers during “Fast
Jabroni” perfectly carry the rambling guitars with Pitts alternating
between speaking and singing.
The vacillation
between quiet and loud throughout “Anchorage” would have made both Frank
Black of the Pixies and Kurt Cobain of Nirvana both proud. Another
reference to water in the form of “Swim” could be an anthem for swimming
teams everywhere as Pitts screamed “Swim to reach the end!”
Channelling a '60s vibe with crystalline guitars, “Catholic Pagans”
closed out their eight song set that still had the crowd wanting more.
between quiet and loud throughout “Anchorage” would have made both Frank
Black of the Pixies and Kurt Cobain of Nirvana both proud. Another
reference to water in the form of “Swim” could be an anthem for swimming
teams everywhere as Pitts screamed “Swim to reach the end!”
Channelling a '60s vibe with crystalline guitars, “Catholic Pagans”
closed out their eight song set that still had the crowd wanting more.
Turbo
Fruits by the way of Nashville were a blast of southern tinged garage
rock. The power trio whipped through a thirteen song set that included a
rocking cover of “Bad Moon Rising.” Lanterns from San Diego received a
very strong ovation from the crowd with their twin Rickenbacker stacked
guitar attack and power jangle rock.
Fruits by the way of Nashville were a blast of southern tinged garage
rock. The power trio whipped through a thirteen song set that included a
rocking cover of “Bad Moon Rising.” Lanterns from San Diego received a
very strong ovation from the crowd with their twin Rickenbacker stacked
guitar attack and power jangle rock.
The
Crowd: It seems like everyone was afraid of the army of cameramen in
front of the stage since they were given plenty of room to operate, yet
it was packed to the back. The Detroit Bar was very full given it was a
Sunday night.
Crowd: It seems like everyone was afraid of the army of cameramen in
front of the stage since they were given plenty of room to operate, yet
it was packed to the back. The Detroit Bar was very full given it was a
Sunday night.
Overheard: “This guitar
actually stays in tune” was spoken by Pitts when he was trying out the
Rickenbacker guitar given to him by Lanterns after breaking a string on
his Gibson SG.
actually stays in tune” was spoken by Pitts when he was trying out the
Rickenbacker guitar given to him by Lanterns after breaking a string on
his Gibson SG.
