To call the 8x10 Club an intimate venue is an understatement to say the least. In fact, as you step through their doors and make the few strides to the foot of the stage, it is as though you are transported back to high school, and you half-expect to see your best friend's band preparing for their set. While the 8x10 is generally known for showcasing local talent, this past Friday night it wasn't Baltimore's best who took the stage, but rather the up-and-coming, critically acclaimed Sea Wolf opening for the already established, spunky indie trio, Nada Surf.
As people piled in, the balcony filled quickly while band mates and roadies rushed around the stage, tuning instruments and setting up equipment. By the time Sea Wolf actually took the stage, the club was packed to capacity and the full house was abuzz. Their distinct sound - a much more eclectic approach to the folk that has found a place in the current landscape of indie rock music - could be described as a hybrid of sorts between that of the Decemberists and Wilco, and it kept the audience so engaged and interested that by the end, it was clear that Sea Wolf certainly held their own with a strong set that showcased their promise.
Once they had cleared out, the cramped, claustrophobic stage had suddenly grown immensely, leaving only a sparse set up of a drum kit in the back flanked by two microphones for Nada Surf's bassist and lead singer. Though eager fans had to wait an extra hour for doors to open after the band showed up three hours late to the 8x10 Club due to bus troubles, Nada Surf took the stage to thunderous cheers. After the lead singer Matthew Caws, exchanged a few pleasantries with the crowd, the trio launched straight into "Happy Kid."
"I'm just a happy kid, stuck with the heart of a sad punk - Wait, wait, wait!" Before Caws finished the first verse, the music stopped abruptly, he laughed an apology to the crowd, swiftly swung his guitar off his shoulder and exchanged it with a black Gibson the tech guy to the side of the stage was holding out for him. After a moment, Caws returned to the front with a sideways grin, ran his hand through his already mussed hair and pretended like the band had just gotten on stage as he launched back into "Happy Kid" once again. Though the technical difficulties present from the get-go were abundant throughout the course of the show, it was clear from the very start that the laid back and lighthearted demeanor of the band would keep spirits high and the energy even higher.
As they finished out "What is Your Secret?" Caws motioned off-stage and introduced his father, step-mother, and sisters who had come to see their last show of the tour. When the elder Mr. Caws smiled genuinely, lumbered on stage and hugged his son, the crowd responded in kind with cheers and several shouts of "I love your dad!"
The cross-generational feel of the show was not only thanks to the presence of the lead singer's family, but also the uniquely diverse make up of the audience itself. In fact, the heterogeneity of the crowd - which one would expect to be made up of mostly teenagers and young twenty-somethings rather than thirty-somethings - was incredibly endearing as long-time fans of various ages danced and sung along with the indie rock trio from Brooklyn.
When the opening chords of "Fruit Fly" floated through the air accompanied by Caws' charming croon, it was immediately overpowered by everyone singing the quirky and apologetic lyrics in overwhelming unison. As the song slowly crescendoed and the bass and drums erupted, the crowd exploded. Based on Nada Surf's sound on their records, it came as a surprise to see how energetic their live show really was. While they are a rock band, they brought their songs to life with unexpected vigor and exuberance. Their ability to strike the perfect balance between the gentle tones of songs like "Blonde on Blonde" and the upbeat and frenetic ones of songs like "Hi-Speed Soul" both kept the show interesting and the music fresh.
The band itself looked like a trio of misfits. Caws, the leader of the pack, in an unassuming navy polo and slacks stood in stark contrast with his bandmates, with the tattooed and rambunctious Ira Elliot behind the drum kit and the dreadlocked Daniel Lorca on bass. Though you would never expect these dramatically different characters to come together and make such feel-good music, you would also never expect the amalgam of individuals who gathered at the 8x10 Friday night to be united by a band like Nada Surf. But it worked. So while Nada Surf closed out with "Blankest Year" and the crowd repeated with increasing enthusiasm the chorus of "Oh [expletive] it! I'm gonna have a party!" as Caws' father and siblings clapped and sung along, it seemed only fitting that this gig in a small, cramped, smoky club was a family affair.
