Nada Surf @ GAMH

Robert and I saw Nada Surf at the Great American Music Hall (just like we did back in September 2008) last Thursday and, once again, we opted for the geezerific reserved dinner seats. Only, unlike last time when we were one of about 6 people total in the reserved seats, this year the place was packed! We were squished in and seated next to each other like sardines, and then people decided it would be awesome to come stand right behind the seated people so we were trapped on all sides. The pros definitely still outweighed the cons (a seat, a meal [petrified as it may be - this year Robert and I both picked the pork chop and holy bejesus was it overcooked! It was like eating a shoe, I'm not kidding. I could barely choke mine down, so we splurged and ordered a Ghirardelli brownie sundae to follow it up. That was nice!], something to do between acts and a super-close restroom is still A-OK in my book) but I wouldn't have minded a wee bit more space so that I didn't emerge from the venue a hunchback. But, you take what you get, right?

We were seated directly above the band (again) and there was only one opening act (Telekinesis) so things were good. The BEST part was that former chimney/current bassist Daniel Lorca must have given up smoking because he lit nary a cigarette the entire set. It. Was. Fantastic! I was dreading coming home with the inevitable sinus issues that follow Nada Surf concerts in teeny, tiny venues but this time I lucked out. (I was so happy I didn't mention it throughout the night, just in case doing so might jinx me. But as soon as the last song ended, Robert and I turned to each other and went "He must've quit smoking!" We were excited. I'm sorry we're sad.)


We were so directly above the band, in fact, that I could read the set lists for both Telekinesis and Nada Surf. I loooooved knowing how many songs I had to sit through before the opening band went away!!! Fabulous.

The crowd was definitely a mix of older and younger folk so Robert and I didn't feel too, too old this time around. (Plus, sitting so close to the band you can really see how old they look. Kind of a bummer.) But both Robert's and my (and the band - the lead singer chatted the guy up at one point) was this guy:


Who looked like this:
And danced and sang during every single song EXACTLY as you'd imagine he would. Except during the Spanish song. But that was pretty much a bathroom/beer run song for the entire audience.

Anyhoo, it was a great show, great venue and probably the last concert we'll partake of for a while. Stupid no job.