I’ve been mildly obsessed with Rogue Wave’s band name (what a good adjective-noun combination – I can’t decide whether ‘Wave’ refers to the oceanic formation or standard greeting… whichever it is, I like the concept of a rebellious one) and Lake Michigan track for a while now, so when I saw the band was coming through DC I was super excited to see them. To add to the allure, the opener for the show was Caveman, a band two of my most music savvy friends have been big fans of for a while. The duo had high expectations to fill in my mind, and, happily, they came through with flying colors.
Caveman, a five-piece band from Brooklyn, took the stage and brought with them a delightfully varied and electric persona. Apparel ranged from skinny-tie-snappy-casual to Hawaiian-shirt-beach-relaxed. The quintet’s music was as wistful and whimsical as its cheerful and friendly character. The band distinguishes itself from other indie rock groups with a folksy-even-African twist to its songs. Their set included “Over my Head” and crowd favorite “Where’s the Time.” My friends, long-time fans of Caveman, describe being obsessed with the band with this Internet meme:
I can only hope the band gets the renown it deserves soon. Judging by the applause following its Black Cat show, that fame should be forthcoming!
Rogue Wave took the stage next. Again, a good-looking, eclectic band with the main vocalist in a metallic jacket and the drummer rocking an amazing fro and moustache. Also, shout-out to the bands aesthetic sensibilities – they dimmed Black Cat to the max and highlighted the space with neon blue and purple lights that added an other-worldly effect to their performance. The band was warmly welcomed by the crowd, and they returned the love with a “Helloooo DC, Let’s do this!” message. It’s amazing how a personal city-shout out can pump up energy at a show, and Rogue Wave definitely had that down. The band self-describes its sounds as textured, cerebral pop – a description I like and think is very well articulated. While Lake Michigan is the band’s most well-known song, and the one the crowd got most excited about last night, I particularly like the Siren’s Song which they also played last night. I think this track speaks most to the band’s cerebral side, especially with the line: “You see what I see/Nothing left to talk about.” Such a good way to sum up the sad truth about so much… from failing relationships to silently shared joyful moments. “Siren’s Song” is only one of the many quality songs on the band’s new album, Nightingale Floors.