Pilot Radio - Sidecar Pub -- Houston, TX (11.23.02)
Posted by Jeremy Botter on 11.27.2002
What else can you ask from rock and roll?
Concert Review: Pilot Radio
Venue: The Sidecar Pub
Date: November 23, 2002
Opening Act: The Long Goodbye
If you haven't heard of Pilot Radio, I won't blame you. They are one of the fastest-rising young bands in the country; having played together since they were freshmen in high school, the now 20-something lads from Pilot Radio have become one of the best live units in the independent music scene. They aren't exactly "independent," I guess -- they've been in cahoots with the folks from Solar Flare Records for the entirety of two albums. The first record, a self-titled EP recorded at Sunrise Studios in Houston, had teenage music sensation Joshua Moore at the helm handling producing duties. Moore, one of the youngest artists ever to be featured on the cover of Keyboard Magazine, also doubles as the organ/keyboard player and producer for Caedmons Call. The album sold quite well, but those were younger times and a younger style of music.
Fast forward to 2002. Pilot Radio released "Antiques," their first full-length offering, and it was met with critical and commercial success. They've been together for nearly seven years, and the music truly shows just how far they've come, not only as individual musicians but as a tried and true performing unit. People often ask me who I compare the sound to, and I can't really come up with anything -- Pilot Radio has a style all their own at this point, and they've impressed quite a few people, including Fender USA; Pilot Radio recently inked an endorsement deal with them.
This show at the venerable Sidecar Pub in Houston was to act as one of a few "tuneup" shows for the first extended Pilot Radio tour that beings in January. If you're in the Northeast, I would HIGHLY recommend that you stay tuned to Pilot Radio's website to find out if they are coming to your area.
The Long Goodbye opened up the show with a decent Jimmy Eat World impression. They had the JEW act down pat, complete with the frontman pulling all of Jim Adkins' stage antics out while performing. It was decent music, and definitely something to watch out for, but they won't get anywhere until they write their own music freely instead of copying the Jimmy Eat World formula. Granted, a lot of the music sounded like Jimmy Eat World pre-Bleed American, but it was still Jimmy Eat World.
Pilot Radio has a penchant for making the crowd wait well past their scheduled start time at concerts, and it's effective, because by the time they hit the stage at 11:30, the sold-out house was primed and ready for a rocking show.
That's exactly what they recieved.
From the opening strains of "Where's The Sunshine," one of the better tracks from Antiques, the group was a well-rehearsed and seasoned unit that knew how to rock without an effort. This is a quality you don't see very often in a younger band, but this is no ordinary young band -- they learned their instruments together, grew up together, and all of the practice and rehearsals over their high school career has truly paid off. Frontman Ricky Young has come into his own as a vocalist, hitting every single note and word with a clarity and preciseness that defied his age.
The group played several tunes from Antiques before moving into some older material; it's hard to put into words just how much the audience loves this band and it's catalog of music. Going through "This Time," "Leaving Atlanta" and "Hollywood" from the self-titled EP was an excercise in "let's see how much better this music sounds now than when we recorded it;" the group has lived with those songs for quite some time now, and the result was performances that were much better and more aged than the EP they were originally released on.
To understand just how awesome Pilot Radio is in a live setting, you need to understand how great bassist Drew Walters is. He's not your everyday rock and roll bassist; instead playing "in" the groove, Drew IS the groove. A lot of Pilot Radio songs were constructed around his amazing basslines, and his live playing is something to behold. This is coming from a guy who played bass for 15 years, too! Walters is one of the best bassists around, and it won't be long before he's embracing the cover of Bass Player and other magazines of the sort.
Guitarist Keith Sheperd has come into his own, too. Since the departure of former guitarist Justin Loucks, Sheperd has been required to learn all of the intricate lead lines and chunky riffs that adorn Antiques, and he's done a great job of it. His guitar work on "Maybe We Won't Die" was a perfect example of just how good he has become.
After satisfying the crowd by playing some older material, Pilot Radio shifted into cover mode with a great rendition of "Runaway Train" by Soul Asylum. They've been covering this song for awhile, and Young has been able to take the song and make it his own.
The group moved through a little more of Antiques before finally closing with the first single from the album, "Maybe We Won't Die." It was a fitting end to the show; a rocking, ballsy tune with killer melodies and a chance to showcase the artistry of each of the band members.
I was a little dissapointed that the band didn't play "Good Thing You're Young" or "Strange Situation;" those are my two favorite songs from Antiques and the latter is one of the strongest chorus melodies I've ever heard. Believe me, though -- that was one of the only disappointments of this show. I've seen Pilot Radio on many occasions over the past year and have even opened for them quite a few times, but this was probably the best show I've seen them perform. Everyone was on, the crowd was hot, and the music delivered.
You really can't ask anything else from rock and roll.
Check out Pilot Radio's website. Also, if you're at Texas A&M, you can see them perform with Stroke 9 on Monday, November 2th and Simpson Drill Field.
The 411: You really can't ask anything else from rock and roll.
