Haf Sac, Keaton Collective, Transfer – Nov 14 – Rogue Hero
Seeing a good show at The Rogue is like a staple of sanity. It’s a break from the cold damp weather and grey skies. You can almost always expect to be greeted with smiles, fresh beer, and energetic live shows. And this evening was no exception. Three great bands, one low cover, tasty brew, more fragments of sanity regained.
Haf Sac opened the show with a crowd that clearly knew their songs. Chanting choruses, watching and laughing as the band entertained like only Haf Sac can. They are an unconventional 3-piece alternative rock band. No loud drums, no 100W Marshall Full Stacks blasting your ears in a small room. Instead what they have is a very creative approach: acoustic guitar, bass and a beat boxer. These guys know how to entertain peppering honest comedy through an energetic, upbeat set. It’s no wonder the crowd was unusually thick this early in the evening.
Next up, The Keaton Collective played their tour finale. They just spent the last month on the road, an impressive 24-show, 8-state tour. That kind of schedule really grows a band, and it was very clear that the road had made a mark. The songs were played tightly and the band was in sync. Being a collective of other successful bands, like The Braille Tapes, it was surprising to see the crowd wander off and back. From an outsider’s perspective, the band’s musical direction was just on the verge of going in the same direction, but not quite there yet. They were very friendly on the mic and showed honest appreciation of the group watching them. The individual musicians were talented and fun to watch, with only one disappointment. The bassist’s syncopation with the drummer and choice of notes was mostly bland. With the groove foundation of the songs in this state, it made it difficult to delve more interest into their show.
Hailing from San Diego, Transfer was up here to release their latest record, Future Selves. While the bands changed stage gear, the crowd grew thick and tightly packed. Something special was about to happen…and that it did. From their first song it was clear that Transfer was on a completely different level. The musicianship of this pop-rock style band was impressive to watch, not only in their instrumental capabilities, but how they interacted physically and musically with each other. The vocal harmonies were amazing, and completely spot on. The rhythm section was dynamic and melodically interesting. The guitars filled the jacket of the sonic landscape. The lyrics were thought provoking. The band focused on their live show and interacted with the crowd in an up-close and personal way. While it was their CD release show, they really didn’t push the fact that they were selling their CD’s. They just rocked.
Overall it was another great night at The Rogue. Buckets did a killer job running sound and choosing the bands for the night. If you missed this one, you missed it.
