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SXSW review: Surfer Blood
Back in November, Palm Beach popsters Surfer Blood played a dazzling (and likely booked far in advance) show at Beerland that just about everyone in attendance knew would be the last time they’d get to see the buzzed-about band in such a small setting. True to form, Saturday’s SXSW show at Mohawk was the fivesome’s 10th (at least) show of the festival, where the band’s name appeared on bills backed by hipster pillars like NPR, Urban Outfitters, Village Voice and Pitchfork.
So yes, Surfer Blood have arrived, looking fresh out of high school (drummer Tyler Schwarz had the only beer in sight) and either shockingly confident or completely unaware of the big stakes being placed on them. That’s for the better, since if anything infringes on this band and its ability to craft stunning power pop that sounds like it’s being projected high speed through a wind tunnel, man… that’d be a shame.
Live, the foursome (touring with an extra keyboard/percussionist) stretch out drum-tight tunes like show opener “Floating Vibes” and “Fast Jabroni,” with guitarist Tom Fekete stomping on a row of effects pedals and piling on feedback when John Paul Pitts (vocals/guitars) wasn’t dropping startlingly developed couplets on the packed crowd.
As is the case of any band touring behind its first album (Kanine Records’ “Astro Coast”) the set list was pretty easy to predict, ending with the knock-me-over perfection of the band’s career-making (to this point) single “Swim,” Pitts’ vocals soaring above the din with such enthusiasm and spirit you’d never guess he’s been singing it several times a day for a week.
There’s a fine but important difference between “happy to be there” and “happy where you are”; the first leading to go-for-broke carelessness and the second embodied by careful precision and professionalism to make sure there are still lots of better days ahead. Right now at this moment, Surfer Blood are in the latter camp, and that’s something we should all be thankful for.
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