A small, intimate venue, The Parish could barely house within its four walls the depth and breadth of music produced by Rogue Wave and opening act Midnight Movies at the sold-out show in Austin on January 25th, 2008. Midnight Movies delivered a moody, dark set, followed by Rogue Wave’s lineup of songs, full of lively indie rock and roll with a decent dose of sweet romance. Together, this was a show I’m glad I didn’t miss.

Despite the rumors that circulated whilst waiting outside The Parish about Midnight Movies “not showing up,” an hour and a half later, the full crowd was packed inside being blown away by the four-piece band from L.A. “We only found out we were playing about six hours ago. Sorry… Our booking agent sucks,” they apologized. Ah well, they were worth the wait. Fronted by attention-grabber Gena Olivier, a slight girl of many trades (from vocals, to organ/synth, to tambourine, to drums), wearing amazing red moonboot-type shoes, and backed on drums by a similarly multi-talented girl (from drums, to backing vocals, to flute, to tambourine…), Midnight Movies showcased their talents not as a group, but as individuals. It seemed like there was little cohesion between each of the band members, each of their styles considerably different, yet somehow, they all came together magnificently. Gena freely danced her indie-moves across the stage, the drummer/flutist looked like she thought of her music as a math problem, the lead guitarist seemed like he listened to a lot of Pearl Jam and liked his wah pedal a little too much, and the other bassist guy playing on the computer… Wait, what did he do again? Whatever it was, it worked for them, and I couldn’t figure out why. Due to their late arrival at the venue, they cut their set short to six songs, but the music’s combination of mature yet ethereal vocals and heavy organ-synth, layered over the occasional flute melody or random psychedelic guitar solo (and let’s not forget the over-used tambourine… tambourine on foot pedal… tambourine in hand… tambourine on hi-hat….) was actually something to get lost in. Souvenirs was a highlight and was as memorable as the moonboots. This was moody Blonde Redhead on crystal meth. My main criticism of Midnight Movies would be the members’ apparent obsession with tempo changes… Once is fine, kids. More than twice and you’re running out of ideas for variety, here.

But finally, what we all had waited in the cold for: Rogue Wave. Hold on, five of them? Surprise! Special guest performer introduced simply as “Dominic,” who features on Rogue Wave’s latest album Asleep at Heaven’s Gate, who looks like a fifty-something year-old guitarist with dance moves like Axl Rose, almost stole the show away from the four original Roguers. That said, this show could not be stolen from these amazing musicians.

I must say, I wasn’t expecting much when I went to this show. Frontman Zach Rogue has a funky and distinctive indie voice that I didn’t think would be replicated very well… but it was. In fact, I think that Rogue Wave is much more musically impressive live than on their recorded albums. They delivered a full, energetic set that was nothing short of incredible. A healthy mix of old and new, the songs were pulled not only from Asleep, but also their best songs from previous albums Out of the Shadow and Descended Like Vultures. “Like I Needed” started the show off with an energetic vibe, even though sensitive renditions of softer songs such as “Christians in Black” showcased Rogue’s gentle vocals (despite his inability to keep the cheeky grin off of his face). “Bird on a Wire” was a highlight of the show (which, aside from its usual infectiously catchy tune, ended up being an amazing jam-session), as was a section of the set where each band member had a pair of drum sticks and was bashing on a different drum. “Every Moment” slowed down a few beats per minute, paired with Zach’s over-the-top hand motions, made every girl in The Parish wish Mr. Charmer up there wasn’t wearing a wedding band. And, as expected, O.C. Mix hit “Publish My Love” and singles from the latest album “Chicago X12″ and “Lake Michigan” also made the crowd erupt. The only downer was the obnoxious guy behind me who kept begging to hear “the Zune song.” About 13 songs and one broken string later, the four-plus-one-piece departed the stage. Zach shortly returned to deliver an encore of acoustic performances (to buy some time for the string-change), including “Ghost,” “California,” and even “Eyes,” which he played at none of the other shows on the tour. The entire band ended with an intense version of “Kicking the Heart Out” which surprisingly flowed into Neil Young’s song, “Birds,” to finish off the show.

You can tell by watching these men on stage that all they really want to do is enjoy themselves and play around. Speaking with smiley frontman Zach Rogue after the show, he said, “Well, we do [have fun]. We love it. And all that energy we get… we couldn’t get without you guys.” If you ever get the chance to see Rogue Wave live, take it, and be a part of that energy.

Lastly, I’d like to finish off by publicly beseeching Zach Rogue for his hand in marriage. Seriously though, that man with his guitar in hand and a permanent smile on his face wooed every heart in Austin that night…

- Review by Chloë Mander