Local Concert Review: Surfer Blood

Readers, THE hipster show of the year has now come and gone and, judging by our willingness to pack ourselves into every uncomfortable nook and cranny of the Replay Lounge, it was the most important show any band had ever played, anywhere. Luckily, many hipsters are tall and skinny, so the Replay can fit more of them than a normal bar. Even so, every fire code and safety violation was surely broken last night and the antipication perhaps almost rivalled the legendary Larryville appearance by Eddie Vedder's side project, Hovercraft, at the Bottleneck, an occasion where concertgoers (reportedly) attempted to sneak into the venue via the air ducts (we weren't actually at that show, but we often claim we were, in an effort to get laid by Pearl Jam fans).

Many things were learned at last night's gig, such as:

--The best place to watch an uber-crowded Replay gig is from the very back corner, just under the specials board, which offers a surprisingly decent sightline and easy access to PBR (and terribly muffled sound but, fuck it, it's better than standing directly behind that 7-foot tall dude).

--Meeting someone you previously know only from the internet will not necessarily get you immediately murdered. Yes, Richard and his Eudoran friends have spent many fine hours cavorting on a music web-site known as Blip, where they create their own DJ alter-egos (DJNog!) and chat with other music-loving friends from around the globe. Anyway, the point is: it was nice meeting you, DJ-makinitrite from KC (aka, Robin).

--Hipsters are actually capable of showing emotion, squealing at the opening chords of songs they recognize just like tween girls at a Miley Cyrus gig.

But what about the band, you ask? Well, as with any true hipster gig, the music was more or less beside the point. The band knows however many songs are on their debut album, three or four of which are very catchy, and they play them loud and raggedly. King Tosser remarked late in the gig that he "smelled a scam," but Richard feels the band delivered what we all wanted: a chance to say we were at the gig, a story we can tell our children someday, perhaps when we share our first PBR with them, and long after Surfer Blood has been forgotten (which of course makes them even hipper).

Four out of four PBR's.