Tropical Popsicle - The Belly Up Tavern, Solana Beach CA 10th October 2011

Probably the biggest gig for local lads Tropical Popsicle in their brief history, supporting The Pains of Being Pure at Heart at the Belly Up for a local radio station (94.9 FM) sponsored show. Despite its faults (which I freely accept could easily just be my biases!), The Belly Up is that next stage up in size from say, The Casbah or the Soda Bar for example and although it wasn't quite full there was a decent crowd for a Monday by the end of the night. It's a bit of a drive from the hipster-heavy areas of San Diego, but the boys did not have to worry, they had plenty of friends follow them up the road and get there in time to see them despite the 9 pm kick-off. Much the same set as the last time I caught them but with the addition of one fresh tune that you can hear a studio version of here and this is a good representation of how it sounded out front. Incidentally, the sound was actually much fuller for our lads than it was for the headliners, who's lead guitar was woefully under-represented in the mix. 

I think the indie world is looking for something new to latch onto at the moment after a couple of years of lo-fi and/or garage groups. I was starting to sense a movement towards pop hook-laden female-fronted post-punk bands (Bleached, Wax Idols etc.) in the offing, but it could just be that Trop Pop's melodic 80's-goth tinged gloom is just what we are looking for in these dark times. There are other groups out there that are partial to this approach too so perhaps they can form a gang with Weekend and The Soft Moon amongst others. The lyrics are not going to cheer you up much but the songs are highly danceable and maybe that's what the 99% are really after. In any event, after only a few months out there, Trop Pop have a really solid set to share with the world and if they perform it this well at the CMJ outing in New York in a couple of weeks, they are going to get plenty of interest. Just make sure you have more merch with you guys!

Tropical Popsicle

The Belly Up Tavern
Solana Beach, CA

Monday 10th October 2011

AUD: SP-CMC-8 > SP-SBSB-11 (16Hz r/o) > Edirol R-09 (24 bit/48Hz) >
Audacity (downsampling/editing) > CD wav (track splitting)

Set [30.05]

Intro
Always Awake in Shadows
The Age of Attraction
The Beach With No Footprints
The Tether

The Universe of God Shadow
Lunar Camel   [Siouxsie & the Banshees cover]
The View from the Dihedral Wall

Download : Tropical Popsicle at the Belly Up Oct 2011


...and don't forget that the first 7" single is now available from Volar records I think there should be enough for a full-length album very soon.