I last saw Nada Surf back in 1996 at a swell Columbus, Ohio venue called The Newport. They were on tour to support their (to date) only hit single, "Popular", off their debut album High/Low. The main things I remember about that show are that it was a good time, and their bassist, Daniel Lorca (whom my +1 for the Milwaukee show-- tastes like chicken's own V.D. Sweazy-- said looks like John Cusack with dreads), seemed to be hitting on my then-girlfriend after their set. I come back from the bathroom to see the flirtation going on. Pfft. Rock stars.

Fast-forward seven years. I'm seeing Nada Surf again, this time at the absurd venue The Rave (absurd because of reasons I'll later get into). In my circle of life, Nada Surf seemed to lay low for most of the interim. They had an album, The Proximity Effect, that I (and everyone else in America) somehow completely missed. Then, last year, they released Let Go to critical acclaim. Overall, it's a quiet and pretty affair that I reviewed a few months ago. Because of that review and my predilection for emo-ish music, our editor-in-chief, Wayne Chinsang, got me into their October 13 show here in Milwaukee, the land of outrageous taxation and lost dreams.

Starting the show was a band called The Response that me and V.D. didn't see because we were a little late due to shitty Yahoo directions. (Why do I keep using them?) After learning that The Rave's parking was ten-damn-dollars, V.D. and I had to park a block or so away. It was as we were walking back to the venue that I noticed The Club on just about every car around mine. Terrific. This resulted in a little (unfounded) worry the whole night.

Once inside, I purchased a $5.50 Miller from Willem Dafoe, who apparently grew a ponytail and got a gig at The Rave. Only the Green Goblin would charge that much for liquid gold! During this, the second act, Ozma, took the stage. Their music and performance was pleasant enough. Some people in the crowd really got into it. The main reason they warrant a mention, however, is their keyboardist; a purdy, raven-haired vixen in a short skirt and snow boots who looked like Winnie Cooper from TV's The Wonder Years, if Winnie had actually been as cute as we all remember.

So, on to Nada Surf! Dreadlocked Cusack was in full-on rock star mode, striking poses and teetering on the edge of pretension the entire show, crossing the line only once during a song in French, "Là Pour Ca", that had the audience members somewhat rudely, though understandably, chatting amongst themselves. Lead guitarist/singer, Matthew Caws had an earnest, nice-guy-cool-nerd thing going on, whereas drummer Ira Elliot rocked a faux cocky drummer vibe. They seem like an odd combo, but there's no denying they know how to construct a catchy-as-all-get-out pop/rock song. Their set was great. They seemed to play a little bit from all their albums. The songs from the latest LP, Let Go, were shockingly more muscular than the delicate ditties recorded for the CD. The song that did it for me was "Hi-Speed Soul", which was happily stuck in my head for the rest of the night.

It was a terrific show. Nada Surf sounds pretty darn good on their albums, but in concert they take it to a whole new level. What a great live band.

SURF THE NADA SEAS HERE.

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH IRA ELLIOT HERE.

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