Cute sisterly stage banter; teens with hipster haircuts and wacky frames; someone’s pit-bull hanging by the bar:  all fond and not-so-fond memories from Wednesday’s show at the Glasshouse. From the moment Tegan and Sara took the stage, the girlies went wild and were completely inconsolable.  During their hour and ½ set they focused heavily on their recent album, The Con, with a few older gems thrown in; i.e. “Not Tonight”, and “Fix You Up”. Between tunes there were delightful snippets of playful patter, continuing to provide their devoted fan base with plenty of YouTube ammo. Most memorable being an anecdote about a local Rite-Aid and how the cashier swindled Sara out of a dollar to supposedly help starving children. As the night progressed they tamely bickered, telling each other to either “move over”, “wrap it up” or “shut the fuck up”. The audience was captivated! 

 Their backing band was tight and their harmonizing couldn’t have been more on point, showcasing their irresistibly unique pop vocals and how they can’t help but compliment each other.  During “So Jealous” you heard the scratchiness (Tegan) and the poppy-ness (Sara) layered on top of the other, but gelling as if they were both woven into the same snuggly blanket. The snuggle-ness of their vocals eventually culminated into a pounding, syncopated crescendo, and by then, I was inconsolable.
 As they traveled through their set, one could sense an aura of humbleness AND fear as they competed with the shrill of the screaming masses (teenage girls). They’ve hit it big, as made evident by their swanky rock-and-roll tour bus parked outside.  It’s an awesome feeling knowing that an artist can stay true to themselves and find a wide-ranging audience with continued success, and I can’t think of more deserving band. In their presence, I too am a giddy teenager. 

There are a few bands that will always be more than you come to expect. Hot Water Music is one of those bands that have always been able to bring it all to every show, touring constantly and hanging around afterward to get to know their fans even when they had a long drive to the next city. They remind us that punk rock was, and is, about connecting with those around you and gaining strength from each other. Over all these years, Chuck Ragan has been much more than just a rough voice and an image. He has become an icon of a talented, humble and hard-working American – and he is a legend that is thankfully not yet done.  Our Tim Rynders sat down with Chuck to talk about Hot Water Music's reunion.

NR: How have the first few shows gone? Does it feel like you’ve never stopped playing as HWM or does it feel more like a distant dream?

CHUCK: They’ve gone and felt absolutely incredible.  The friends, fans and general turnout have been overwhelming and it’s just been everything and more than we all hoped it would be.  As far as the feeling of HWM stopping or not, it’s been a little of both, I’d say.  When I first flew to Florida to meet with the boys to play for the first time in 3 years, it felt as if it’d been a damn decade.  Then it took about the first 3 chords and it all fell back into place.

A few months ago I took a wrong turn near South Coast Plaza, and came across a building that must have been just visiting from the future. This architectural gem in our beloved Costa Mesa, California, is the home of Samueli Theater, which might very well be the best place to see live music that you could possibly hope for. Plenty of room, drinks, and even a rare roast beef sandwich in the lobby if you forget dinner on your way to the show. I hate to admit this, but after Satisfaction rocked, a big part of me wanted to be able to root for the underdog and say that they stole the show from Matt Costa. Even after the first solo song of Matt Costa's set, something in me wanted to be able to contradict the burgeoning group of his fans...to find all of the flaws, to be Jack Black in High Fidelity.

But, then the rest of the band came out, and new comparisons flooded into my mind. A bit of Wilco meets James Mercer, followed by whatever I would hate someone else for saying, followed by more obvious comparisons, each designed to avoid accepting him on his own merit. The band was hitting on all cylinders, and I started to see that this group of gents were not here to be the next fashion divas of the indie scene, but rather they genuinely loved playing music together. It kept getting better, and I found myself in the midst of some Newport Harbor High School hipsters with my beer and camera, and I set it down and hit record for this slightly-muffled clip (see below) that officially made me like the music of Matt Costa. Not to mention the fact that they made the crowd go nuts, and displayed absolutely no pretense whatsoever. A special thanks to Katie Martin at Indie 103.1, and also to our new friends at OCPA - Tim Dunn, Heather Cho and Jessica Brunner. Stay with us because we will be covering the upcoming Indie Artist series shows live at Samueli Theater featuring Rogue Wave, Voxhaul Broadcast, Pinback, Nada Surf and more.

Then, last night, Conan had an exclusive taped performance by Radiohead:

Just a reminder for those of you in Orange County, VIBE is throwing their monthly bash this Saturday at the Shark Club in Costa Mesa. Here are just a few the details: 

Atlantic Connection-
Tomorrows Not Enough LP Release Tour
LA based producer Atlantic Connection is causing a massive Buzz Storm over his debut album "Tomorrows Not Enough" due out May 26th. This album is one of the first in years to blend popular mainstream with the solid underground soul of dance music.
myspace.com/atlanticconnection

DJ & the Diva ft. Devoe on Sax
Jo-S has teamed up with San Francisco based vocalist Audio Angel to form DJ & the Diva! Alongside LA's Devoe on sax, this trio has been breaking ground with their epic studio mixes and live performances bringing an element to DnB that is something only to be witnessed.
myspace.com/djandthediva

With Soundlaab Residents:
Civilian, Southpaw and MC Werd starting off the night with a 2x4 set, smashing up some fresh deep tunes.

The Shark Club is a Plush Super Lounge with two massive rooms, 4 fully stocked bars, a pool hall, massive sound, intelligent lighting/visuals, VIP Bottle Service, outdoor smoking area with fire pit, gogo dancers, and a huge shark tank.

Normally it is a $20 cover, but if you mention VIBE or DnB at the door, it is only $10.

Main Room:
The Scene
Hip Hop, House, Electro, Top 40, Mash-Up
DJ Raphiki from Power 106
&
Dj J-Skillz

Plus:
Hair and Fashion Show by One Black Rose.
With an Emphasis on Themed Shows, Musical Production, Dance and Entertainment,combined with All The Glamour and Fashion of course, One Black Rose Always Delivers Something New.

For VIP/Bottle Service:
714-244-2942
myspace.com/soundlaab

Shark Club
841 Baker St.
Costa Mesa, Ca 92626
(714)751-6428

 Click here to see more details and RSVP.

 Breakdown: Shark tank and go-go dancers for 10 bucks.

Mute Math's unique sound has been compared to U2 and Sting, but front-man Paul Meaney says Mute Math is an entity all its own. The band plans to prove that they're irreplaceable when they enter the studio this summer, by abandoning their roots to pursue the potential in each individual instrument. Our correspondent Mark Sherbin sits down to chat with Mr. Meaney...