By David Randall
A campfire, copies of the City Weekly under a paper weight labeled 'this is not a brick' and a make shift shed for bands to sell T-shirts were just a few of the unavoidable details I noticed Thursday night as I found myself standing in the rain, paying $10 to get in to hear one of my new favorite bands, The Format.
The Format, headed by the Glendale, Ariz., songwriting duo Nate Ruess, 21, and Sam Means, 23, have signed to Elektra for the debut CD 'Interventions and Lullabies.' The first single from the album, aptly named 'The First Single' has caught lots of airplay in Arizona, and according to the band, will be released nationally next year. That''s pretty good, considering they have only been together for 18 months.
It''s easy to understand their popularity. The music is basic pop, something in between Jimmy Eat World, Dashboard Confessional, and Counting Crows, with intriguing lyrics and a unique, emotional voice provided by Ruess, who said his vocal influences include the Crows Adam Duritz along with Whiskeytown and The Beatles.
The lyrics are singable and memorable, as evidenced by the many moving mouths during the band''s set. I received a press copy of the 'Interventions and Lullabies' about a month before the show and I was sure that most of the people there came for Murder by Death or The New Amsterdams, until I heard the singing.
Thursdays venue, Kilby Court, at 700 South and 300 West in Salt Lake City, could scarcely hold 150 people, but Ruess, donning a Hard Days Night striped scarf and a 60s shag, said he feels comfortable playing such venues.
This year he said he hopes to play as much as much as possible while promoting their album, and of course, work on new material.
Both Means and Ruess seemed pretty lax about the record deal and touring, throwing back short replies like, 'yeah, it''s pretty crazy,' and 'yeah, that was cool.'
Part of it was probably being cornered in the T-shirt shack by a reporter definitely lacking in facial hair, but the whole reaction seemed typical of the The Format''s overall feel, which is one of the keys to their appeal. Means put well, when asked where they came up with their name, 'we just like to be simple, and it kind of worked out well for us.'
They keep it simple, singable, usable, to such an extent that people like myself and other BYU students who knew the band from Arizona, drove and hour in the rain on a school night to hear them.
The band played several songs off their album ranging from the mellow, 'On Your Porch,' to the up tempo, but slightly morbid 'Tie the Rope' and ended with the raucous 'Sore Thumb,' after two girls near the stage held up their thumbs and pointed at them.
Ruess closed the show with an invitation to join him at the campfire.
'If anyone wants to sing Michael Jackson songs around the campfire, you know where to find me.'