Nada Surf at The Loft

The Grammy’s was again an occasion for the recording industry to lament anemic record sales, but none of that was evident in Atlanta on this bustling Saturday night. Nada Surf , with help from Rogue Wave sold out The Loft , while across town Of Montreal did the same at Variety Playhouse.

Credit should be given to The Loft - even though Zack of Rogue Wave commented on weaknesses in pushing the midrange, the sound was the best ever and helped project the voice of Nada Surf singer Matt Caws.

Their treatment is a testament to what is wrong with the industry, as their album 1998 album Proximity Effect was shelved by Elektra until the band wrested it back for self-release. Since that time, singles such as "Inside of Love" have offered testimony to the band’s strength in building up a solid catalogue and securing a solid fan base.

The crowd was delighted by familiar cuts such as "Fruit Fly" and the "Blizzard of 1977" off of Let Go . At times, they were so excited that their singing along almost drowned out the band. The single "Always Love" off of the new album The Weight is a Gift is evidence that the band is still going strong. And when the band led into "Amateur" as a part of the five-song encore with, you could have heard a pin drop.

Rogue Wave come along with a wave of artists like Bright Eyes and Death Cab for Cutie whose edgy counterpoint is better at capturing the malaise of the decade.

The band was well-received by the Nada Surf faithful, although Zack noted the preponderance of "jocks" in the room. Their well-crafted vocal harmonies and inter-locking guitar lines propel Zack’s insightful song-writing.

It was clearly Nada Surf’ ‘s night, but a comparison indicates that even with their pleasant melodies and appealing guitar styling, Nada Surf is more a product of the alternative 90's and their early chart success of their single "Popular."