ride the wave

one of my favorite bands right now is rogue wave. they're based in the bay area and are fronted by zach rogue. they were signed to sub pop a while back and recently released their second album. they've gotten lots of good reviews, have toured the country multiple times, even made some TV appearances. all of which leaves me feeling slightfully resentful of them, not only for those reasons but also because i auditioned on drums (unsuccessfully) for zach's former band, the desoto reds, a few years ago. actually i'm not really resentful of them, since i am admittedly a mediocre drummer.

anyway, pitchfork recently ran a review of a show they played last december. the review seemed to take exception to the fact that they played a fairly mellow show. some quotes:

"I expected that Rogue Wave might be louder this time, touring in support of a full-band-penned and generally more rocking record, but nothing doing: They played so quietly that the blowsy bar girl singing at the MegaTouch machine was actually louder than they were."

"While it was certainly not unpleasant to coast along the glassy surfaces of Bird on a Wire and Publish My Love, it all seemed sort of academic."

while i find it odd to take a band to task simply for not rocking harder (whose band is it, anyway?), i have to admit that i sometimes have a hard time keeping focus when i'm seeing a live band that isn't kicking out the jams. it's not that i don't like mellow music; i've got plenty of downtempo rock records in my collection. and i feel that i should be able to appreciate the subtle nuances of quiet music in a live setting. after all, rock music isn't the one dimensional gimmick it was 50 years ago. it is a full-fledged art form, one that can and does take many different shapes. but let's face it, when you're out at a club with a PBR in one hand and a cigarette in the other, you want to be watching a band with some swagger, a band that can bring the noise.

i'm sure i've seen mellow shows before that i enjoyed, although i can't think of any right now. truth be told, i actually don't go out to see bands all that often, which has always been a source of shame for me, as an avowed music lover. i hate to say it, but i just don't think i have the attention span for it. seeing a live show represents a fair investment of time, when you factor in transportation, parking, opening bands, etc. and while i do sit on my ass all day at work, i'm old and was not blessed with the best feet, so standing around for several hours into the late(r) hours of the night isn't all that easy for me.

the truth is that i'm an album guy. there's nothing i love better than getting stoned, slapping on a pair of good headphones, and rocking out to a record (or CD, for you younger folks). you get to hear the band's ideas fully formed, unconstrained by the inherent limitations of performing live. is that album opener just crying out for 12 exquisitely panned guitar tracks? no problem! throw in some crazy keyboards while you're at it. oh, and don't forget the four part harmony and timpani solo.

which, of course, is not to say that it's an impossible feat for a band to translate their recorded sound to the stage. in fact, i saw rogue wave play up here in portland last fall, and they heckof rocked. maybe they were just feeling sedate on the night that reviewer caught their show. they're allowed. but i can't help but feel glad that they busted out the decibels for me.