And your ears shall hear…

If you haven’t heard of the West Palm Beach rockers  Surfer Blood by now, you’ve apparently, missed “the wave.” That was my attempt at a pun on their moniker and it was very, very bad!  Without stating the obvious, I would say that seeing Surfer Blood play live at Schuba’s last night, was akin to seeing Pearl Jam on their first tour, just before “Ten” broke.   Pearl Jam opened for the Pumpkins, who were opening for the Peppers, and the hype was uncontainable.  That same “hype” thing holds true here.  These young, baby faced kids have played every new music fest (CMJ/and soon SXSW) and adorned the pages of every rock magazine across the country, even before the record was properly released.  I am by no means comparing the two bands style-wise, I am just saying that last night’s show felt more hyped than Vedder’s flight to Seattle to record Ten!  Schuba’s was SOLD OUT, and the surfer kids came hungry.  Their songs sounded spot on live and they played with enough confidence to take over the world; possibly.  Keep in mind how young they are, and you almost get the feeling that you are watching the winners of a local Battle of the Bands. That is until they start that first song, and you realize you are witnessing something a lot bigger.  The opening song “Floating Vibes” started the show off on a rocking vibe (maybe even Pearl Jam-esque vibe, now that I think of it), as they showcased one of the best riffs off the album.  Lyrics to the opener even have the singer contemplating leaving home, to “spread his name across the world,” instead of sticking around to help the people that need him now.  It’s a great window into all the changes these guys went through to make this dream happen.  “Take It Easy” was second, and the bouncy song had the crowd bopping their heads,  hooting and hollering, trying to sing in our best falsettos!  It felt good to be a part of the energy that is Surfer Blood’s music, it really makes you feel happy and upbeat!  “Twin Peaks” and “Catholic Pagans” couldn’t have sounded any better, and more alive.  When singer JP introduced “Fast Jabroni,” he definitely showed his age.   “We are all big wrestling fans,”  he said “and this is my favorite song!”  Then, they blasted into their best Cure impersonation, reminiscent of “In Between Days,” keeping the crowd moving and the set flowing.  The indie, gone major, surf rockers sounded really tight, while playing the majority of their debut record “Astrocoast,” to a packed house full of people who were thrilled and smiling to say the least.  They closed, of course, with their booming single “Swim,” and encored with something new that they have played at both shows.  If this new song is a sign of things to come, I can honestly say that these kids have a bright future ahead.