Seaweed Jack Will Take You To Their Special Island

As we say, the pithy "Fucking awesome" describes openers We Wrote the Book on Connectors [myspace, the stranger]. Whimsical and hyperactive, they couldn't be more at home in front of a college crowd. Their main vocalist is fond of the power rock point-to-the-sky move, and has slightly more range than Gary Numan. With songs titled "Gonna Eat Some Cake Tonight," [download] "Now You Will Debauchery," [download] and "Happy Torso, Bloody Torso," they play indiecoresque, surfpunky, Beastie-Boyish music. They're enormous fun live, and their enthusiasm and leg-kicks are inspiring. They delivered an upbeat opening.

So Do You followed with a more downbeat, angsty take. The music of dyspeptic 20-somethings ("The Morning After," we think, contains the oft-repeated line "I really hate myself") doesn't appeal to us too much, though it must be said the lead singer has a strong, plangent tenor and notable (if largely introspective) stage presence. "Regrets" was pretty damn good. Mainly, they could use some a larger song repertory -- but they're young, just 8 months old.

All this transpired at the High Dive in Fremont, where we'd prepped for the show with a sloppy, tasty BBQ chicken sandwich (with a blue cheese coleslaw topping!) on a ciabatta bun. The bartender tells us the menu is being overhauled and upgraded to include burgers, steak, potstickers, and more. Theoretically, the new menu's unveiling is this Friday. The full bar features pool-themed drinks like the Belly Flop and the eponymous High Dive.

The decor is a kitschy '70s poolside fantasia that's fun but not remarkable -- it's almost remarkable for how unobtrusive it is. The bathrooms are located down a corridor to the left, near the stage, which becomes an obstacle course once the area in front of the stage fills up. We weren't sure why, but people kept dropping drinks on the concrete floor, with predictable results. And by "people," we mean the fresh-faced, U-Dubbery-looking folks, so many of whom were apparently reuniting after a separation of significance and needed to stand right there in front of the bandstage to discuss everything that had occurred since last they'd met.