Nada Surf @ the Bell House

Nada Surf; The Suza
@ The Bell House
Brooklyn, NY - February 27, 2014

My personal exposure to Nada Surf is not necessarily that of the well worn path. I've always known of them as an Indie rock band with significant riffs and hooks though it never occurred to me to call them power pop until someone wrote that yesterday and I realize that's them, personified.

It was only a couple years ago that I learned that they had a hit some time back, a song that I then looked into and did not find in keeping with their sound, so I was quite surprised.

The set was very much in keeping with the Nada Surf I know and it turns out I know more than I realized. Songs they've promoted from their recent works had such a well-measured infection to them that songs I forgot I knew became instantly recognizable and sing-a-long-able. That goes for both the powered ones and the soft-toned ballads.

Not sure why this review is coming out like a lady taking tea, but it is.

And for no real reason at all I will point out that Ira the drummer has that Barton Fink/Eraserhead look so I was going to be into this show no matter what musically happened. Learning he did an afterschool special with Scott Baio, as part of the band's trivia giveaway, was a bonus on top of the bonus.

The Suzan are a trio of Tokyo women based out of Gotham. Synthy, Manchestery, a little discombobulated in a good way.