Wavves play Neumo’s in Seattle [Curiosities #69]

Photo by Brian Behrens

Across the street about 2 hours before Wavves took stage I said to my friend Sean, “I hope they play ‘Friends Were Gone.’ ” Sean said something like, “What’s that?” and I said something like “unreleased track.”

The show kicked off at about a quarter to 10 with Broken Nobles, who were sort of a glam band that seemed out of place. The guitarist wailed on a few nice solos which, again, seemed out of place at a punk-pop show. I just wanted to hear some power-chord mashing, you know? Luckily, Pharmacy were up next to tear through a dozen Kinks-style garage rock tunes with the “boom, boom boom, cha” drums and even a cello and saxophone, a solid warm-up . Check out their full-length Weekend on Park the Van Records.

After Pharmacy I somehow found myself in front of the stage. It was 11:30 and minutes later Wavves opened with “Friends Were Gone.” The crowd was pretty great; hair flying all over the place, beer spilt on and around the stage; at one point I remember being sort of concerned the wet Christmas lights on the stage floor were going to cause some sort of mass electrocution. The mosh pit was acceptable, with my friend’s wasted hockey teammate mostly dominating. I had to throw myself in when a speedy version of “Beach Demon” was played halfway through the set. I exited triumphant but sick from the upsetting combination of Rainier tall-boys and spastic body movement.

The Wavves unit has really tightened up since Nathan Williams ditched his drummer after his first big tour. After a short stint with the #1 drum-kit murderer Zach Hill (check out the unreleased “Hula Hoop” and “Cool Jumper”) he permanently added Jay Reatard’s seasoned bassist and drummer – Stephen Pope and Billy Hayes. I guess if you were part of Reatard’s infamous 3x-faster live set, you have it down pretty good.

They played all the hits – “Post Acid,” “So Bored,” “King of the Beach,” “To the Dregs” — and ended with an extended, FX-laden version of “No Hope Kids.” It was a grand punk-rock show. In the encore they played a beefed up “Weed Demon” and tore through a new thrasher. The lights came on and drunken hockey dude, who said he “knows people” and will get us backstage to “smoke with [Wavves],” was nowhere to be found. I like how Williams sings it: NOOOOOO HOOOOOPPPE KIIIIIIDSSS.

STREAM: “Linus Spacehead” off King of the Beach in the G.G. media player – top right hand corner