Read all about Rogue Wave at New York's Bowery Ballroom
- May 17, 2016
- 2 min read
On a humid east coast evening, somewhere between East Village and Little Italy, a familiar archway of undecorated brick and panelled glass marks the subtle entrance to the kingdom of New York City's infamous Bowery Ballroom. The mixed crowd milling outside blends New York cool with a subtle hipster rock edge, exactly the kind of grouping you'd expect to see if you were in any way familiar with tonight's audiological carte du jour. Indie rock savants Rogue Wave, a recurrently varied group of musicians primarily fronted by vocalist and guitarist Zach 'Rogue' (Schwartz).
The Oakland artisans have seen a motley mix of luck and success since their twice released debut, 'Out of the Shadow' was introduced between 2003-2004. Though regularly paying lend of both themselves and their tracks to television shows and several other soundtrack mediums, they arguably saw most of their success with their 4th studio album, 2010's 'Permalight'. Their current tour follows on the heels of their most recent release, the bleaker and more cynically wistful 'Delusions of grand fur'.
The band present as a sprawling quintet tonight, studiously casual in dress code and armed with a disparate display of instruments in order to deliver their pelagic ambiance of synth infused gentle but craggy indie rock. Fans of The Lumineers, Snow Patrol or perhaps even Coldplay and Grimes would find flesh in tonight's performance.
Doused in an aquarium of lights that change empathetically with the refluence of the music, Rogue covers a plentiful scattering of his 13 years experience since laying to rest his status as a silicon valley alumni. His voice is vitreous, present and brimming with melancholic melody. It's Rogue's distinctive vocal lope that has always set him apart from the quagmire of the dwindling indie rock proletariat.
Though fluidly pendulant most of the time, the stage is regularly suffused with an eddy of surging energy, and Rogue limbers up to enliven the crowd, encouraging them to clap and sing along during coverage of more popular pickings such as the ever preferred 'Lake Michigan'. Other notable and audience enthusing pieces include the fun easy-drive vibe of 'College' , 'Eyes' and 'California'.
For a band like Rogue Wave, who possess an ambient folk rock vibe that are perfectly suited to a placing on the broad palate of tastes acquired by citizens of the modern festival cultures, it is pertinent they lean on their strengths before staunchly breeding future sound into a comparatively reduced aesthetic for the sakes of nostalgia. There is room for them to head the California brand of tune to the likes of Gomez or Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds. I hope that followers of the bay area outfit will get to consume the redevelopment of a more expounded and assured version of Rogue Wave in the future, without forsaking the flavors that have long loaned favour and acclaim to the band to this day.
You can hear more from Rogue Wave on their youth/Vevo Account where you can watch some of their artistic and well produced videos, a personal favourite being the visual accompaniment to song 'Solitary Gun'.
Or check them out at their homepage www.roguewavemusic.com
WORDS: Billy Jackson
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