Matthew Caws at Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen

Nada Surf singer Matthew Caws played yesterday at the Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen in front of an adoring and mature audience. It is not a case that the average age of the crowd was relatively old, as the New York band hit the peak of their fame in 2002 with Let Go. Nada Surf are still alive and according to Matthew Caws, they are going to release a new record at the end of this year (spread that news among the fans). The key sound of the band is a low-fi attitude (typical in those years, let’s think about Pavement) with a brilliant and clever irony, both skills evident in Matthew Caws’ live performance. During the gig, Caws talked and chatted with the audience showing a nice and funny personality full of inspiring anecdotes about his past with Nada Surf and Minor Alps (his project with Juliana Hatfield).    

Caws’ semi-acoustic live show still maintains his indie pop attitude and introduces some new folk elements. Starting with Weightless and Whose Authority, the gig grows slowly with intensity and charm, offering in its totality a great performance. Caws knows how to engage with the audience, how to chat with them and how to keep a great stage presence during the live set.

The gig continued with two covers from the 80s, first Simple Minds’ Spread Your Love to Me and Depeche Mode’s Enjoy the Silence. Interchanging songs from his recordings with Nada Surf and from the superb Minor Alps, Caws shows how a guitar and a man can be sometimes make the perfect combo: Are You Lighting and See These Bones form Nada Surf’s Lucky album are songs that make the listener melt, so are the famous Inside of Love and Waiting for Something. It is not easy to present indie rock tunes acoustically, but Matthew Caws managed to do it with great class and dexterity. Chapeau!

The night ended with three encores, 80 Windows, Always Love and Blankest Year, this was probably the highlight of the gig, thanks to the poignancy and lyricism. The audience at the end of the gig was absolutely stunned and amused, thanks to Caws’ competence and great songs.

Lorenzo Cibrario
Photos: Filippo L’Astorina

For further information and future events visit Nada Surf’s website here.

Watch the video for Inside of Love here: