Written By: Jim Markunas (Editor-In-Chief)
View all of our Switchfoot photos here.
It’s been 4 years since Switchfoot has put out a seminole record. A few years after Sony tried to steamroll their career by adding spyware to hard copies of their 2005 album, Nothing Is Sound, Switchfoot severed all ties, opting to go ‘back to their indie roots.’ They started their own imprint and inked a distribution deal with Atlantic Records. Switchfoot’s new album Hello Hurricane is one of the most anticipated records of 4th quarter 2009. Released the same day as their Roxy appearance, Hello Hurricane was to be played live in it’s entirety. I knew this sold out show at the Roxy was going to be great; fans were lined up from the Roxy all the way to La Cienega Blvd (5-6 blocks down the street), eagerly awaiting Switchfoot’s first performance of Hello Hurricane (which, as I said before, was to be played by the band in its entirety that night).
Switchfoot performed without an opening act, and took their sweet time getting on stage. Just as I thought the show would never start, as hour after hour had painfully crawled by, the lights went dim, and every member of Switchfoot, except vocalist Jon Foreman, calmly walked on stage. They ripped into the first song off Hello Hurricane, singing began… but where was Jon? I flipped around 180 degrees, only to see that he was standing on a makeshift riser at the back of the club. Foreman sang to the crowd from across the room as the band played on the stage.
Jon is a rock star in his own right; he may look like the spitting image of David Spade, but believe me, there’s nothing comical about how he rocked it out. Jon was then somehow passed over the crown and on to the stage. The band ripped into the second song off Hello Hurricane, Foreman began to sing as he ripped off his black leather jacked and slowly strapped on his guitar (see the play-by-play of this in our photos section). I have to say, this was some sexy shit! That alone made up for the hours and hours of waiting for the band to grace the stage.
The rest of the show was a tad anti-climactic in certain parts, and majorly awesome in others. The next highlight was when Jon jumped off stage to sing to the crowd. He managed to push his way through the packed venue, belting out lyrics as he made his way through the crowd and back to the stage.
One thing I can say about Hello Hurricane is that it’s a consistent record (up to par with any other Switchfoot record) – fast and hard in some parts, and beautiful and slow in others. Check out Switchfoot.com for more tour dates. I’m not sure if they’re planning on playing Hello Hurricane front-to-back for the whole tour, but even if they aren’t, they’re a must-see live band.
Want More Switchfoot?
Jason Coldiron's Interview With Switchfoot's Chad Butler
View all of our Switchfoot Photos (Roxy)
News/Tour Dates
Review of Hello Hurricane
