A warm spring evening is one of the best times to go to a concert. The Ithaca weather gods were kind enough to grant us one of those evenings last Monday, April 19th, and it coincided, almost uncannily, with a great line-up at the quaint and intimate coffee house/musical venue of The Shop. Family Portraits, Lil Daggers, Turbo Fruits, and Surfer Blood came and played, courtesy of Ithaca College’s “The Series” concert series, and pleased a tightly-packed and sometimes over-eager crowd.
Because your reviewer was busy stuffing his face with oh-so-delicious Sammy’s pizza (sometimes buffalo chicken pizza is better than live music), he sadly missed the two opening acts of Family Portrait and Lil Daggers. But he was on time to hear the potent rock-rhythms of Turbo Fruits.
Hailing from Nashville, Tennessee, their sound is a unique fusion of southern, classic, funk, and indie rock all mixed into one grungy (both sounding and looking) pot. Playing some of their most recognizable songs as “Colt 45,” “On the Road,” and “Volcano,” and throwing a crowd-chosen cover in their set-list, their easily-likable sound infused the crowd with energy. I had only heard Turbo Fruits in a seemingly innocuous 30-second youtube clip, which was on in the background while I was doing other ‘work,’ but their live performance demanded my full attention, and left me wanting more.
Having a 30 minute set, they let the crowd take a much needed break from unknowingly exchanging bodily and unbodily fluids and air out a bit before Surfer Blood came to make the tiny coffee shop even more humid with hipster-sweat.
Although they only released their debut album, Astro Coast, in January, there was a surprisingly large turnout of people to come and see Surfer Blood. But given their energetic, but easy-going west coast style surf jams, it takes effort not to like them on the first listen.
A motley crew of guys took the stage, ranging from the frontman, who you wouldn’t be able to pick out of a crowd, to the lively and audacious percussionist/keyboardist with more hair than a shower drain in Little Italy. But from this diverse group of musicians came a sound so sweet it would even romance Janet Reno in a pantsuit.
If you haven’t already guessed, Surfer Blood come from near the ocean, West Palm Beach, Florida, to be exact, and their musical style reflects their vibrant and free-flowing lifestyle. Starting off the evening with my personal favourite, “Floating Vibes” and with my second favourite song, “Harmonix,” Surfer Blood destroyed any expectations I had coming into this show. They played almost their entire album, and even a cover of “About a Girl” by Nirvana, there was not a wrong chord played, or a lyric misspoken. If I were able to be impregnated by live music, this would have been one of those times. The band was full of energy (most notably the keyboardist), which transferred over to the crowd. It is often times hard for a band to be better live than on a recording, but Surfer Blood managed to do just that.
When their set finished, and the night was pronounced over, I, and most of the other sweat-soaked and borderline deaf patrons, didn’t want them to stop playing. If you haven’t listened to this band yet, I highly suggest taking a quick 45 minutes to listen to Astro Coast, and try to imagine that, but better, and live. You will not be disappointed.
Despite having a camera that doesn’t understand the term “focus” or “blur reduction,” and not knowing who I had rubbed my gallons of sweat on, it was one of the best concerts that I have ever been to. Both bands that I was able to see had great stage presence, and even better music. Get yourself a 99 cent Arizona iced tea on the walk home, and you have yourself the recipe for the perfect concert.
Peach Plum - Cover Part 2, April 25, 2010.: 
