Nada Surf @ The Opera House, Apr. 7

Nada Surf is one of those bands that has flown under my radar for years, and I’m not exactly sure why. Indie pop mixed with clever, heartfelt lyrics (I think half their songs have the word “love” in their title) — that’s my thing! I’m not even so familiar with their cred-crushing mid-’90s hit, “Popular,” a song that has taken them years to live down.
     So thanks Joanna for taking me to their show last week and fixing things. To prepare, she told me Nada Surf sounds like The Weakerthans (another of her favourite bands, which she took me to back in November), if they came from New York. Well said. Both bands were impressively tight, gimmick-free and noticeably grey — a result of years on the road. The Hüsker Dü-ish “Stalemate” and concert closer “Blankest Years,” with its “fuck it” singalong chorus, stood out for me. And while Nada Surf may never regain mainstream glory, or even continue to chart upwards, as The Weakerthans seem to be doing, consider them definitely on my radar.