For example, just how in the world Nathan Williams and his surf-rock band Wavves have managed to sustain themselves playing what had to be the sickest joke of a music set brought upon my ears in a long time. It's fucked up - pun intended.
After watching them open for cherished Canadian punks Fucked Up at the Magic Stick Friday night, it's safe to say I just don't understand what the goddamn fuss is about.
Over the last year Williams has been busy writing songs for MTV shows as well as new Wavves material while generating a substantial following by wailing out the same chord progressions, to the same drum beat, at the same tempo, with over-simplified lyrics. If stressing the word 'same' is annoyingly redundant, it's cause the music was just that. Catchy? Sure. Memorable? Absolutely not.
"I'm so bored," Williams sings ballpark guess, hm, lets say 40 times, in the cleverly titled "So Bored."After two-thirds of their no-way-they're-playing-one more-song 65 minute set, a good chunk of the crowd could be seen mentally adrift thinking the aforementioned song title.
Surf rock can be fun and make people dance, which plenty of Wavves minions in attendance were. But, they aren't The Ventures or Dick Dale and after finally leaving the stage I certainly wasn't inclined to consider giving surfing a whirl.
Quite the contrary, Fucked Up delivered as fired up of a punk rock set you can get nowadays. Managing to go from playing in front of a dozen people at the 2500 Club to bringing in a crowd of 350-400 at the Stick within a handful of years, they fully embody the idea of "coming a long way."
Reeling off the release of their well received third full length David Comes To Life, it's downright bizarre to think when they started out only drummer Jonah Falco was the only member who actually knew how to play their instrument. While I personally am not keen of the 'punk opera' David compared to previous releases, their immense catalog is beyond impressive.
If Fucked Up never cuts through the mainstream mold only because of their name, so be it, the masses can keep missing out. They're continuing to deliver some of the best music and Friday night proved it.
