Strong emotions felt during an intimate Rogue Wave concert at Johnny Brenda’s

Rogue Wave | photo by Matthew Shaver | www.brightloud.com

“There but for the grace of God…” Words that could potentially apply to a wide variety of situations, but quite often in music it is the luck of the draw that splits who makes it big time and who never makes it at all. That was the old days at least, these days there is a solid middle ground, a place where working musicians can thrive, make a living, and build a passionate, rabidly loyal fanbase, even if it’s just a stroke of luck that kept them from selling out theaters.

Rogue Wave is a giant, powerful band, whose songs evoke strong emotions, and are blessed with catchy hooks to boot. Johnny Brenda’s seems almost too small to hold them in, but I’m glad they came through. Their set was nice and intimate, something felt deeply by each person in the room. It was a bit of a surprise that Zach Rogue kept apologizing for playing a mixture of old and new. We all loved it, and there wasn’t a bad note in the performance. They brought an electric heft to the normally acoustic “California” and the classic “Publish My Love,” as well as a healthy dose of the new hits, especially the awesome “California Bride”

We were all amply warmed up for Rogue Wave, too, thanks mostly to the blistering set Hey Marseille came in with. I dug these guys a lot with their first couple of albums, but their recent self titled is an epic piece of pop-rock. The fiery “West Coast” sounded monstrous in the small space, and on “Trouble” seemed like it he was going to break down on stage. An amazing night with 2 acts that can knock it out of the park in any venue.

SETLIST

Take It Slow
Ocean
Look at Me
Endless Supply
College
Eyes
Salesman at the Day of the Parade
Cheaper Than Therapy
California Bride
What Is Left to Solve
Memento Mori
Lake Michigan
Harmonium

Encore:
Publish My Love
Like I Needed
California