Nada Surf at Invisible Children Event, Washington D.C.: 2009
Nada Surf at Invisible Children Event, Washington D.C.: 2009
Nada Surf performed at an Invisible Children benefit event in Washington D.C. The combination of great music and important cause made for a meaningful evening.
Invisible Children
Invisible Children was an organization working to end the use of child soldiers in Uganda and the violence perpetrated by Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army. Their documentary films brought attention to a humanitarian crisis that most Americans knew nothing about.
Seeing Nada Surf at a benefit for this cause added weight to the evening. Music has power, but music combined with purpose and activism has even more.
Beyond "Popular"
Most people know Nada Surf from "Popular," their 1996 alternative rock hit that satirized high school social hierarchies. But the band's career since that one-hit-wonder moment has been far more interesting than that song suggested.
After their label dropped them following their second album's commercial failure, Nada Surf could have disappeared. Instead, they kept making records - smart, melodic power-pop and indie rock that got better with each release. By 2009, they were a respected indie band with a devoted following.
The Performance
Nada Surf opened with songs from "Lucky," their 2008 album that had brought them renewed attention. "See These Bones" and "Whose Authority" showed the band's evolution - still melodic and catchy, but more mature and textured than their '90s work.
Matthew Caws' voice has a warm, earnest quality that makes even sad songs feel hopeful. His lyrics are literate and observant without being pretentious. Songs like "Inside of Love" and "Blankest Year" deal with loneliness and connection in ways that feel genuine.
Of course they played "Popular." At this point, it's a nostalgia trip - a reminder of '90s alternative radio and simpler times. But the band plays it with good humor, acknowledging its place in their history without letting it define them.
Power Pop Excellence
What Nada Surf does well is power pop - melodic rock with big guitars, strong hooks, and emotional sincerity. They're in the lineage of bands like Teenage Fanclub, The Posies, and Big Star - bands that understand that pop melodies and rock power can coexist.
Their cover of "If You Leave" (OMD's '80s synth-pop classic) showed their taste and range. Taking a new wave song and reworking it with guitars and their sensibility worked perfectly.
Music with Purpose
Playing a benefit show for Invisible Children showed Nada Surf's commitment to using their platform for good. The band spoke between songs about the issue, about the importance of awareness, about how music brings people together for causes that matter.
Benefit concerts can feel performative - artists checking a box to seem socially conscious. But this felt genuine. The cause was serious, the organization was doing real work, and the music provided a way to raise awareness and funds.
The D.C. Setting
Performing in the nation's capital added resonance. This is where policy is made, where decisions about foreign aid and intervention happen. Having young people gather for music and activism in Washington D.C. felt appropriate.
The Verdict
Nada Surf at the Invisible Children event was more than just a good concert - it was music in service of something larger. The band's melodic indie-rock provided the soundtrack, but the cause gave it purpose.
Nada Surf has built a career on integrity - making good music their way, without chasing trends or hits. Seeing them use their music to support important causes shows that you can be successful and principled.
Great band, important cause, memorable evening. This is what music can do when it serves something beyond entertainment.