Aimee Myers
Contributing Writer
Last Wednesday night, KUSF teamed up with Noise Pop to take over the Rickshaw Stop for an evening, presenting the Bay with a stacked lineup that had something for everyone: garage rock, psychedelia, folk pop, you name it. Kicking off Wednesday night’s show was Long Beach’s very own Rudy De Anda, who cruised up the coast to grace the Bay with his bilingual prog-pop. His set ranged from dream wave-tinged ballads to psych rock melodies sung in Spanish, fulfilling his duties as an opener with the passion and expertise of a headliner. De Anda is certainly one to watch, and for those of us who were at Rickshaw last week, we’re lucky enough to have witnessed him on his journey to the top. Following De Anda was Bay Area punks Burning Curtains. They were certainly the newcomers last Wednesday night, with their debut record still on the way and one single out on vinyl, but given their performance at the Rickshaw, they’re surely in the beginning stages of what will become a promising career within the garage rock revival scene.
Wednesday night was Surf Curse’s last show for the foreseeable future, as guitarist Jacob Rubeck announced that he was moving to Chicago the following morning, but the Reno-based duo definitely made it one to remember. At times, it’s hard to believe that such a high energy sound could come from only two people, but Surf Curse made it clear that sometimes all it takes is a guitar and a drum kit to put on one of the best sets of the night. Although they’re just one of a plethora of garage rock revivalists to come out of the last decade, they’ve managed to set themselves apart from their peers by way of infectious melodies and a nearly unparalleled synergy, leaving dedicated fans and casual attendees alike patiently awaiting their return.
Leave it to headliner La Sera to take a band’s six years of existence and transform it into something completely new. Last week at the Rickshaw Stop, the band presented the audience with a new lineup (the band is officially a duo, led by ex-Vivian Girls frontwoman Katy Goodman and her former producer, and now husband, Todd Wisenbaker) and a setlist packed with new songs fresh off their fourth album, “Music For Listening To Music To”, out next month. The night served as a record release show for La Sera, and a bit of a defining moment as well, as the band has evidently garnered their own definitive sound – a perfect blend of the genres they’ve explored on their last three albums: surf rock, 50s pop, and a bit of folk for good measure. Considering the fact that Wednesday’s show was simply a one-off event, there’s no telling where their latest record and full tour will take them, but it’s certainly somewhere bright.
