Despite all the time I’ve spent in Corpus, there are still new concert venues popping up. Surf and record shop Needles & Fins, located at 4034 Weber Road, was hosting its monthly concert, with this show having a Valentine’s Day influence.
There were only two bands on the bill, making this concert a short experience. Let’s see how this show went.
NEW ATTRACTIONS
Hailing from San Antonio, New Attractions is a four-piece power pop band that is chock-full of ‘70s cool. Basic catchy chord progressions, love-on-the-brain lyrics, the whole nine yards.
I had never heard of these guys before coming to this show, but when I saw their denim jackets and bushy mustaches, I knew I was in for a good time.
When I was listening to them play, I had one song stuck in the back of my head: “Go All the Way” by Raspberries. Their songs are in that vibe with the tempo sped up just a hair.
The band seemed to be in their element despite the late start. The Beatles-esque stage presence was fun to watch unfold.
Watching New Attractions was a treat! There are not many bands that made me want to dance, but if I had a little more space in the store, I probably would have. It’s a real shame this band doesn’t perform in Corpus very often, because I would love to see them again. They’re bringing the past into the present, and I’m glad that they are.
ANIMAL MOOD
This show’s headliner was one of Corpus’ biggest local acts, the garage rock-Indie rock quartet Animal Mood. This show was special, as there were two announcements made at the show.
The first was that their latest single, “About the One I Like,” had been released earlier that day. The second was that their founding bassist, Blake Martin, was going on his second departure after the show.
I hadn’t heard much of their new setup, which had one of the guitarists replaced with a keyboardist. As a result, their sound has relied more on texture and patterns than chord-based energetics.
On top of that, their stage presence had mellowed out as well. In this show, I saw a more focused version of Animal Mood, a version that I greatly enjoyed.
Their music makes me want to bounce off the walls at times, sure, but not as much as before. Sometimes I want to get lost in the groove as well when I listen to this new, evolved band.
