In the trend of fantastic new albums coming out this Spring (The National, Vampire Weekend, The Strokes, YYYs much?), Oberhofer is right on board. Today Hof and co. release their latest EP, NOTALGIA on Glassnote.
Progressively building his musical catalog with catchy hooks and effect driven guitars, his knack for songwriting really shines through. Just releasing “You & Me (In The Future)” on Noisey, the EP is laced with heavy themes, but still have the tendency to draw you in, no matter what the subject matter.
Oberhofer is touring the East Coast this Spring, so check the dates below:
Spring 2013 Tour Dates /
05.02.13 – Glasslands – Brooklyn, NY *
05.03.13 – U Street Music Hall – Washington D.C. *
05.04.13 – Kings Barcade – Raleigh, NC *
05.05.13 – Shaky Knees Festival, Masquerade Music Park – Atlanta, GA ^
05.07.13 – The High Watt – Nashville, TN *
05.08.13 – Garfield Artworks – Pittsburgh, PA*
07.13.13 – Bunbury Music Festival – Cincinnati, OH #
08.02.13-08.04.13 – Osheaga Festival – Montreal, QC
With CMJ coming up shortly, Oberhofer always brings back memories. I remember catching one of his earliest sets a few years back, as he played a CMJ day show at Piano’s on the Lower East Side. It is truly amazing to see how he, and the band, has grown since then. Just as catchy and intriguing as when they first started, Brad Oberhofer and Co. continue to bring their music to the next level, without fail, every time. The group has just released their latest video for “Cruisin FDR,” and a slew of tour dates for your eyes and ears with Matt & Kim, Best Coast and Phantogram to name a few.
Tour Dates
09/16 – KBZT / SD’s Annual Independence Jam – Oceanside, CA #
09/22 – Pearlpalooza – Albany, NY *!
10/03 – Higher Ground Ballroom – South Burlington, VT *
10/04 – The Westcott Theater – Syracuse, NY *
10/05 – Phoenix Concert Theatre – Toronto, ON *
10/06 – Town Ballroom – Buffalo, NY *
10/07 – Electric Factory – Philadelphia, PA *
10/09 – 9:30 Club – Washington, DC *
10/10 – 9:30 Club – Washington, DC *
10/11 – The Fillmore Charlotte – Charlotte, NC *
10/12 – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA *
10/13 – Austin City Limits Festival – Austin, TX
10/14 – The Fillmore Miami Beach – Miami Beach, FL *
10/16 – The Moon – Tallahassee, FL *
10/17 – The Ritz Ybor – Tampa, FL *
10/18 – House of Blues – New Orleans, LA *
10/19 – House of Blues – Houston, TX *
10/20 – Stubb’s BBQ – Austin, TX *
10/21 – House of Blues – Dallas, TX *
10/23 – Marquee Theatre – Tempe, AZ *
10/25 – The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA *
10/26 – Fox Theater – Oakland, CA *
10/27 – Roseland Theater – Portland, OR *
10/28 – The Commodore Ballroom – Vancouver, BC *
10/30 – Neptune Theatre – Seattle, WA *
11/01 – In the Venue – Salt Lake City, UT *
11/02 – Ogden Theatre – Denver, CO *
11/03 – Liberty Hall – Lawrence, KS *
11/04 – The Pageant – St. Louis, MO *
11/06 – Slowdown – Omaha, NE *
11/07 – First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN *
11/08 – Rave Ballroom – Milwaukee, WI *
11/09 – The Vogue – Indianapolis, IN *
11/10 – Congress Theater – Chicago, IL *
11/11 – Majestic Theatre – Detroit, MI *
11/13 – House of Blues – Cleveland, OH *
11/14 – Newport Music Hall – Columbus, OH *
11/15 – Terminal 5 – New York, NY *
11/16 – House of Blues – Boston, MA *
11/17 – Wellmont Theatre – Montclair, NJ *
Brad Oberhofer is on a roll. Recently signed with Glassnote Records, Oberhofer will be releasing their debut album in the early months of next year. While we wait for that, he just premiered on Pitchfork the single “Gotta Go,” which will be released through White Iris and will come out physically on October 4th. You can get “Gotta Go” HERE.
On top of that, the band will be joining Les Savy Fav on stage on September 6th at the Music Hall Of Williamsburg in New York after a year touring with bands like Twin Sister, Sleigh Bells, Neon Indian and Bear In Heaven. Needless to say, the Tacoma native has the indie music scene at his feet.
Coco66, which is just a blinking neon sign blaring BAR in big red letters, is a non-descript venue with a secret performance space hidden by a big velvet curtain. The show starts at 9:45, but for all good things one must wait. Vacation kicked off the show with their synth guitar, dreamy sound. Lead singer Paul Daily has a velvety voice (he sounds like Matt Berninger from The National) and wraps you in his own world when he sings “Penny Pincher.” From here the crowd kept dreaming with the next opener Windowpeak. A female-led slow grind, dreary rock band that sounds like Mazzy Star. This band is simply incredible and it’s clear that they will be going far. You have to listen to “Harsh Realm” and “Burnout.” You will not be disappointed.And finally, Oberhofer. It was as if all the air had gone out of the room and was replaced with this fucking incredible sound. Their set was way, way too short in my opinion. I could have listened for hours. They closed with “I Could Go,” my favorite Oberhofer song. Something about the light show, Brad’s sincerity in his voice and the yearning sound of both guitar and drum completed the show in the most perfect way. I had a brief chance to talk with Brad Oberhofer backstage who told me of his passion for orchestral music and plans on one day scoring films. Which seems to be new indie scene phenomenon, with Broken Social Scene scoring “Half Nelson” in 2006 and Phoenix scoring the new Sofia Coppola film. All in all the show sounded like three bands, all good friends from Tacoma, Washington, having a good time. They each amped up the energy of the crowd as much as the last band, all their sets were super tight and the light show perfectly complimented the music but didn’t distract from it. Oberhofer will be recording new material after their tour. Next stop, Turner Hall Ballroom in Milwaukee, WI tomorrow night (May 18) with Neon Indian.
This is what you need to know about the band Oberhofer: they sound fantastic. The 7″ they just released (“Away Frm U” / Dead Girls Dance”) is phenomenal. The guitars wail as though they are looking for release from this world, the drums are amazing, the entire sound is like nirvana for the ears. The lyrics do leave something small to be desired. Maybe it stems from Brad Oberhofer’s age (he is 19 after all), but the text-language spelled track names rub me the wrong way. The only redeeming quality to these lyrics is the way Oberhofer sings them. There is such an air of sincerity in his voice that you almost forget about the words themselves. Almost. Then again, I was that kid who sat and poured over lyrics so perhaps I am a bit jaded. Either way, this band sounds incredible live. There is so much energy and passion in these shows that you can’t help but fall in love with them. So, here lies the Oberhofer recipe to success. Record some badass songs in your parents basement in Tacoma, WA. When that house burns down, shake the loss off and move to New York, find a new band with an incredible sound and start shaping your art. See this band live. Do it now. Below are the tour dates for this summer.
5/14 – Coco 66 – Brooklyn, NY !!
5/16 – Brillobox – Pittsburgh, PA ^
5/17 – Radio Radio – Indianapolis, IN ^
5/18 – Turner Hall – Milwaukee, WI ^
5/19 – The Aquarium – Fargo, ND
5/20 – Pyramid Cabaret – Winnipeg, MB ^
5/22 – Republik – Calgary, AB ^ #
5/23 – Starlite Room – Edmonton, AB ^ #
5/25 – The Vogue Theatre – Vancouver, BC ^ #
5/26 – Roseland Theater – Portland, OR ^ #
5/30 – The Independent – San Francisco, CA ^ #
5/31 – Satellite Club – Los Angeles, CA %
6/1 – Casbah – San Diego, CA & @
6/8 – The Basement – Columbus, OH
6/10 – Midpoint Music Festival – Cincinnati, OH
6/11 – Grog Shop – Cleveland Heights, OH ^
6/12 – The Ottobar – Baltimore, MD ^
Tacoma, Washington, via Brooklyn band Oberhofer have not one, but two releases ready to hit the ears of their diehard fans: both “Petz” and “Away Frm U” are available for download, via RCRD LBL. The new tracks find the power pop band continuing to hone their sound, creating jaunty songs that juxtapose lush lyrics full of longing with percussive beats and staggering guitars. Oberhofer wowed both critics and audiences at CMJ 2010- performing daily sets for the entire duration of the festival, and winning them the applause of critics from Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan, L Magazine, and The New York Times.
In addition, the guys will be continuing their trek across the U.S., adding a handful of dates to an already ambitious roster of cities and venues. Full tour dates below:
1/26 – Billiken Club – St. Louis, MO
1/27 – Gardner Lounge (Grinnell College) – Grinnell, IA
1/28 – High Noon Saloon – Madison, WI @
1/29 – Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL @
1/31 – Grog Shop – Cleveland, OH @ !
2/1 – The Blind Pig – Ann Arbor, MI @
2/3 – Paradise – Boston, MA @
2/4 – Music Hall – Brooklyn, NY @
2/5 – Johnny Brenda’s – Philadelphia, PA @
2/7 – Rock and Roll Hotel – Washington, DC @
2/8 – Jefferson Theater – Charlottesville, VA @
2/9 – Grey Eagle – Asheville, NC @
2/10 – Cat’s Cradle – Carrboro, NC @
2/11 – The Earl – Atlanta, GA @
2/12 – Mercy Lounge – Nashville, TN @
2/14 – The Bottletree – Birmingham, AL @
2/15 – Thirsty Hippo – Hattiesburg, MS @
2/17 – Fitzgerald’s – Houston, TX @
2/18 – Emo’s – Austin, TX @
2/19 – The Loft – Dallas, TX @
2/21 – Sticky Fingerz Chicken Shack – Little Rock, AR @
2/22 – The Opolis – Norman, OK @
2/23 – Mojo’s – Columbia, MO @
2/24 – The Waiting Room – Omaha, NE @
2/25 – First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN @
2/26 – The House Cafe – Dekalb, IL
* Cloud Nothings
# Handsome Furs
% Jaill
& Distractions
^ The Vaccines
@ Tapes N’ Tapes
! Film Strip
Modern Mystery 