By: Matthew Burke
Without much of a break from shows since January, Surfer Blood took the stage at San Diego’s The Irenic, Saturday night. Coming off as a bit tired and worn out on their last West Coast show in support of their Florida-filled LP, 1,000 Palms.
As the music venue/church was surprisingly empty for a Saturday night, indie surf-rock quartet, Surfer Blood pumped out songs from their latest release, while showering fans with past tunes as well before heading back east. Showing a bit of life and rallying everyone, lead singer John Paul Pitts joined the crowd as he hopped down to the front of the stage while signing with his laid-back vocals, “Take it Easy” the echoey underwater song pulled off their debut, Astro Coast. Without a whole lot of enthusiasm, the band definitely seemed to be running low on gas, it almost looked as if they weren’t excited to be there, but with over 70 shows in the past year, thats expected. Something else was a bit off at The Irenic as well, sound-wise, the drums were too loud at certain points, overpowering the rest of the band. Regardless of sound quality and energy, the audience seemed to respond well to to the performance, shouting out requests (which Paul Pitts accepted) and respectfully cheered for the band mid-way through songs of tension and release. As the show came to an end, the boys of Surfer Blood met with fans at their merch table as a nice gesture.
If you weren’t able to catch Surfer Blood at The Irenic, check out their new album, 1,000 Palms. It’s a solid album if you like up-beat surfy melodies and hooks.