Garage Tapes: Surfer Blood Gets Rough and Raw at Respectable Street

As the New Times reported last week, Monotonix's trip to South Florida ended when only twelve minutes into its set, the band's singer Ami Shalev stopped to say: "After more than 700 shows, I think I finally broke my leg." Seemed like a joke at the time, but it turned...

By S. Pajot

February 5, 2010

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As the New Times reported last week, Monotonix's trip to South Florida ended when only twelve minutes into its set, the band's singer Ami Shalev stopped to say: "After more than 700 shows, I think I finally broke my leg." Seemed like a joke at the time, but it turned out to be true. The acrobatic antics were already over. And that Monotonix t-shirt that read "Where were you when it happened?" took on a new, sad meaning for fans who drove an hour to see some Krav Maga-level rock 'n' roll.

The consolation prize, though, was Surfer Blood's certifiably safe and mostly stationary opening set. There was no cartwheeling, crabwalking, or crowdsurfing. But the music itself stayed animated enough as the West Palm Beachers rambled through faves like "Floating Vibes" and "Swim" off debut disc Astro Coast. The video document above shows a rough and raw live rendition of "Take It Easy" that you should really savor since the Blood is touring and might not make it home till summer.

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