Cafe Eleven

Nada Surf

Saturday October 27th, 2007 - $12
w/ Sea Wolf

If you know your stuff, you know the story. If you dont, here it is: We begin where all good things outside of Seattle do in NYC. Matthew Caws and Daniel Lorca meet in high school and play around the city in a few short-lived bands, eventually forming a trio they call Nada Surf. Ira Elliot (Fuzztones legend) came in a little later, and in 1995 the band teamed with Elektra and later Ric Ocasek, who produced their debut LP, High/Low. The album sold nicely because of a little song called Popular that became a hit on MTV. Nada Surf toured a bunch and in 1998 recorded The Proximity Effect, the release of which was delayed due to a protracted rights battle with Elektra. Finally. after enjoying much critical acclaim overseas, the album came out stateside amid a throng of late-century cynics, skeptical of a band known primarily for a novelty single. And while reviews were generally positive, the album was sadly overlooked. Time passed during which the band continued to enjoy a rabid fan base in Europe, while stateside many believed Nada Surf had dwindled off into relative obscurity. But that wasnt the case. The band came out of nowhere and shocked everyone with 2003s critically-lauded masterpiece, Let Go (an excellent rainy-afternoon album, full of gentle and melancholic beauty Nada Surf show enough panache to leave most of their Nineties-rock peers eating hot dust.” Rolling Stone). Having had their fill of major label semantics, the band chose Seattles Barsuk Records to release the album a pitch-perfect collection of rock songs that charmed music-lovers and critics the world over with its candor and revelry, and gave Nada Surf a new life and new home in the doting arms of contemporary indie rock (”A moody rock lullaby and further proof that most bands hit their stride long after MTV stops paying attention.” GQ). Now, even after touring behind Let Go for almost two years with no further releases, they can still fill a room and a mighty big one at that in many countries, securing their place in the canon alongside folks like Spoon, The Shins and Death Cab for Cutie.

Nada Surf Music Video