Three power-pop driven bands in one night at one of the most famous concert halls in the world. What more could one want? From the opening strains of SR-71, one knew that this was going to be a purely pop-driven evening of melody, harmony, and lithe young men. A tight little four-piece outfit, these guys hit the stage with their crunching, warbling guitars and sweet melodies ready to rock the joint. This was demonstrated by their singer holding up that all too often seen hand gesture… you know, the one with pinky and index finger extended, I guess in an homage to Satan and his horns. Nevertheless, forgiving them this corny bit of theatrics and their constant reminder for the audience to "…buy our CD in the lobby," and "…watch our video on MTV," these guys were fun. Perhaps if they had a little more confidence they wouldn’t need to be carnival barkers half the time.

Sadly, as is often the case with young bands, their most memorable song was a cover. Cheap Trick’s "I Want You to Want Me" was always a great song, and it was delivered in fine form, made possibly a touch better by the addition of a few licks from John Denver’s "Country Road." Splender, hot on the tracks of their radio success with "I Think God Can Explain," was certainly in fine form this night. The difference in their performance last year and this one was like night and day. It is certainly fun to watch a band mature before your eyes, taking what was a solid show and expounding upon it until they are left with a solid hour set that rides the crests and waves of pop, leaving you breathless at its conclusion. Highlights of their top-notch performance included an amazing version of "Spaceboy," complete with a totally spacey section that made you think of the Grateful Dead, who played the same venue some 30 years earlier! This eight-minute version, complete with stupefying lead guitar work, rocked A woman in the audience told me why she liked Splender so much: "They’re so wholesome!"

The headliners of this power pop fest, Stroke 9, were making a return to their hometown with this show, and the adoration of the crowd was self-evident. I have rarely seen or heard an audience that is so obviously in love with a band. And possibly justifiably so. Despite their slamming drumming, slick guitar work, and a generally fine array of musicians, for some reasom Stroke 9 left me feeling that something was missing from their live show. It could have been the pretty lousy vocal mix, but one got the sense that they were coasting some, relying on the fact that their hometown crowd was there to make things right. Don’t get me wrong, they are a fine band, and the lead vocals were sufficient as well, but we never got the opportunity to judge that for ourselves, considering we had a hard time hearing them!

Overall it was a splendiferous evening. Or is that a Splender-filled night? You get the idea.
Stroke 9
SR-71, Splendor & Stroke 9

The Fillmore

(San Francisco, CA)

Review and photos by j bloomrosen
Splender