M. Headphone at Edinburgh Castle, 7/17/99
Though I've only been in San Francisco a short time, I find the rock scene
here to be rather elusive. I think it was proven to me this past weekend
that I just haven't been looking hard enough. San Francisco is known far
and wide for its dance music, which often overshadows most other local
talent. This is partially what made Saturday's M. Headphone show at the
Edinburgh Castle such a pleasant surprise. I am certainly gaining a wider
appreciation of house/trance/drum 'n' bass, etc… since arriving in this fair
city, but still, nothing gets me going like four skinny white guys with
guitars and drums and amps playing music in front of me. There is a level
of intimacy with a live band that isn't really attainable with a faceless
D.J. in his booth.
And the Edinburgh Castle is certainly intimate. Such a venue, where the
band is so close to the audience that its almost like we're all crammed into
someone's two-car garage, can either be wonderfully personal or downright
painful. Luckily M. Headphone, with a collection of what appeared to be
truly devoted fans, could rise to the occasion. It would have been
impossible to be in that room and not feel the energy these guys were giving
off (ok, maybe the three Boddington's helped. Did I mention that Edinburgh
Castle has some fabulous beers on tap?), they were so damn excited to
perform for us. Of course, excitement alone is never enough, but these
guys do sound really good together, surprisingly tight for a bar band.
Defining their sound proved to be quite a challenge. I could hear
influences as varied as Phish, Pavement, Sublime, Van Halen, even The Smiths
in their brand of, shall we say, "alt-pop"?. But these are only influences.
It's refreshing to hear a rock band that isn't trying to sound like
either The Rolling Stones, or Sonic Youth, managing to be accessible without
being sugar-coated. They proved over the course of their set, that are
certainly capable of writing a Goo-Goo-Dolls-esque ballad (M. Headphone was
conceived at Skidmore College. So, they already have the upstate NY thing
going on) , one that could find itself being played on every format radio
station, from top forty to adult contemporary. They did, after all do a
cover of "Easy Lover" that undoubtedly rivaled the original. Personally, I
hope they don't go that way. The highlights of their set came with songs
that made you want to get up and move your butt, not sit and mope. I think
that ballads ought to be either real folky (as in one guy and an accoustic
guitar) or else left up to R&B.
It comes down to the fact that M. Headphone play a great show. I was
reminded of a time when indie pop had some depth to it, when the formula
hadn't quite become so cliched, and rock star posturing included a sense of
humor. M. Headphone weren't afraid to look like they were having a great
time performing, and the audience, myself included, was right there with
them. I brought four friends to the show, a couple of whom were a bit
skeptical at first, but only a short way into the set, they were won over.
I am relieved to know that there is still quality "alternative" pop being
made in the world. Perhaps San Francisco is the perfect place for a
successful scene to emerge, while most are distracted by the lure of the
turntable. I am pleased to see M. Headphone doing their share to put a
little more guitar into SF music. If you like quality pop (and by
definition, everyone does. Go ahead, admit it.), and you like seeing it
done live, definitely catch a show. Which you can do at Hotel Utah on
Saturday, July 31. The show is a Cash for Carts benefit concert to raise
money for the homeless of San Francisco. They're playing third out of four,
along with Omaha Support, The Slow Poisoners, and Heavy Pebble, and I think
doors open around eight. I would recommend checking it out, not only to
support the homeless, but to support a band that does pop the way it ought
to be done.
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