The bassist, Nikki Monniger, adds a little bit of eccentricity with her off-key voice, and her strangely appropriate bass chords. However, her stage presence is that of an awkward 13 year old girl that is afraid to come out of her shell and rock. She swayed to and fro…once, I think. This wouldn’t have been so apparent if it wasn’t for the lead singer and guitarist, Brian Aubert and the drummer, Christopher Guanlao, being such complete and utter rockers. Their antics make you forget the keyboardist, Joe Lester, is even there. All and all they are wonderfully talented and you get your moneys worth. This band’s sound has been compared to Veruca Salt and Smashing Pumpkins. I would agree it has that feel to it, with a twist of modern sprinkled in.
Next on the line-up was The Shins. My friend Tim grumbled over my shoulder about them being “jangley, boring, bullshit”, “learn how to use distortion”, something about “unwashed beardeds”, and eventually sat down in his seat beside me. I grooved to their sound and kept standing. Imagine…two friends, with two opposing opinions on the same band…and yet…it’s all okay!?!? Who would have ever thought?! It’s madness!

I own two of The Shins albums and have been a mild fan of theirs since 2001. However, I listen to them when I do laundry, in the garage, or if I want to hang out in my head for a long drive, alone. While, I still enjoy their music, I will say that I have never seen such a boring performance. Five members, on one stage, and all I could feel was…is this it? I agree it is a bit jangley. I do like distortion. They do not have the ability to keep my attention for more than twenty minutes. Not because they are horrible, because I do like them, but because they are boring to watch. I could be satisfied keeping them on my CD player in the garage forever, and not ever seeing them again. Like a friend you only talk to on Myspace, I’ll listen and we can be friends, but I don’t ever want to see you in the real world.

The third band, was who Leticia and Ewton were most excited to see. Silverchair. I stopped following Silverchair with Frogstomp, and never went back. My 14 year old self, was in love with the band and their first album, as most 14 year old girls are with most hot guy bands. I never bought the other albums. I never cared. Hell, I didn’t know they were still around until about a year ago. Apparently, they just don’t come over here too often and I don’t blame them. They put on a great show. They opened with “Israel’s Son” off of Frogstomp, and the teenager in my soul was won over immediately. A song you haven’t heard in a decade can really be a powerful tool of remembrance. It took me back, and got my attention. The rest of their set didn’t disappoint. They have improved, they aren’t little boys anymore, and they can rock hard and probably frogstomp your ass. The lead singer was sporting a very child molester mustache and little clothing, but he could have been wearing a clown suit, as a joker with that much talent can do what they want.
Finally, Modest Mouse took the stage. I have been an avid fan since 2000, when I rotated Interstate 8 and Moon Over Antarctica, endlessly. I have steadily started to decrease my affection for them as they become more and more produced. I hated Good News for People who Love Bad News, and I only enjoy 50% of their new album, We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, which I find the tracks to be a hit or a miss. I love their older, rougher stuff. I loved Building Nothing from Something, and This is a Long Drive with Nothing to Think About. I saw them open for Built to Spill about five years ago, and it was wonderful. Although, I was worried they would only play their new album, I was equally as curious about Johnny Marr. If anyone put on a show this night it was Johnny. He was just as much of a legend as I thought he might be. I wondered what he would think if he knew my cat was named Morrissey. The rest of the band and their performance were lacking. It was sloppy and loose. It was if the entire sold out crowd was watching a garage practice where half the members showed up drunk. I was a little disappointed, but singing some old favorites, and watching their new addition, made up for it. However, the Silversun Pickups performance, more than paid for my gas and the $8 beers.
Stay tuned, to see who rocked my New Year’s Eve.

jennyhellcat@gmail.com