Matt Pond PA/Guster 10/16/2005

“It’s an honor to be playing after our favorite band ever- Tripping Balls,” remarked a sarcastic Matt Pond, preparing to play the middle slot before Guster. In the midst of a national tour, which also had opening slots for Liz Phair, Matt Pond PA had joined up with their friends Guster for a short northeast run that allowed the headliner to showcase new material from their 2006 spring Reprise album – Ganging Up on the Sun. For Matt Pond PA, it was a chance to spread their saddoe music to an otherwise unfamiliar audience.

Formed in Philadelphia in the late 90’s, Matt Pond PA has since relocated to Brooklyn, though it’s hard to dismiss its affiliation with the “keystone state” given their moniker. After releasing several albums and Eps, and even having a few songs show up on The O.C., Matt Pond PA is continuing to forge a new pop identity with their songbook of dreamy soundscapes. With their latest release, Several Arrows Later, the band further paves their way into the Death Cab for Cutie movement- emo rock for the mainstream.

Playing a majority of Several Arrows Later tunes, including “Halloween” and "It Is Safe," the band had a short 40 minute opening time slot to convert the fans. Although that chore was relatively disrupted amongst the busy-body scurrying of the large Guster female fanbase, Pond’s weighty voice allowed his songs to turn heads. But the band’s greatest strength live is ironically their ability to hold back. Dan Crowell’s drumming is simple yet lush, while guitarist Brian Pearl self-contains his edgy riffs and solos in favor of providing a backdrop to Pond’s imagery and lyrics. If there is a silent weapon, it’s cellist Dana Feder, whose aching strings add a mature grace. Although a headlining slot isn’t too far out of the picture, it appears more prolific days are ahead for Matt Pond PA.

As one bystander yelled during Guster’s set,” oh my god, a twelve year old!” there is no question that Guster battles the boy band syndrome. With the recent addition of multi instrumentalist Joe Pisapia (bass, guitar, keyboards, banjo, harmonica, backup vocals) to the lineup, Guster has shed their three person persona in favor or a more versatile rock outfit that mirrors more closely to Yo La Tengo than their poppy sing-along anthems that attracts the youngsters. Ryan Miller and Adam Gardner continue to push their melodic pop music into more aggressive territory that reflects a pure mixture of tempo and texture.

If for whatever reason, Guster doesn’t cut it for you live, just watch drummer Brian Rosenworcel slam his percussions with the ferocity of Dave Lombardo. During “Come Downstairs and Say Hello” you could have wished for a first aid kit, as his hands were on the verge of shedding blood. And as a right of passage, Miller let Parispo sing his first live lead vocals, on the humdrum “On My Own.” But as you may have guessed, it was the Guster classics - the very ones they are probably sick of playing, “Keep It Together,” “"Fa Fa," Barrel of a Gun” and “Amsterdam” – that got the crowd most excited.

Still, the night proved to be mostly a showcase of Ganging Up on the Sun material, which proved that Guster’s ambitions for charting new grounds with their sound is commendable. Even if the new album doesn’t fly with its fans, Guster will most certainly win over a few new listeners and hopefully lose whatever boy band syndrome accompanies them.