Printer-friendly versionFormer Weezer bassist Matt Sharp told Street last week that he didn't understand distorting guitars these days. Sharp would have felt out of place at Saturday night's TLA show, which featured three of Weezer's alt-rock children: headliner Rooney and supporting acts Straylight Run and Ozma.
Robert Carmine, Rooney's lead singer, pranced about the stage like a saner incarnation of The Hives' Howlin' Pelle Almqvist. There's no question that Rooney is aiming for the cool, melodic alternative rock that groups like Weezer perfected in the mid-90s.
Rooney's execution, however, is flawed. Their live show, much like their debut album, fluctuates between Carmine's vocal melodies and his backing band's energetic, sometimes aggressive, playing. When it works ("Blueside"), the music is playful and bouncy, never emphasizing one aspect over the other. When it doesn't work ("I'm a Terrible Person"), the song juggles weak rock with weak vocals, never bringing the two together for something better than the sum of its parts.
The only thing stranger than Carmine's yellow suit was the best act of the evening: third-billed Ozma. The California group stole the show with their multiple vocalists, heavy percussion, and alluring keyboardist, Star Wick. In true alternative fashion, the least likely of bands walked away the winner on Saturday night.
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Hi Folks! Just thought this snippet of information regarding the band 'ROONEY' would be interesting. Well, basically I heard about this band a couple of years ago and some of my friends had recommended me to Rooney and i must say I LOOOOOVEEEE THEM!!!!! Just to comment on the lead singer Robert Carmine, who you mentioned was prancing around, that's so hilariously his style! Well, he does have the liberty of being born into one of the film industry in Hollywood's biggest families- the connections to the Coppola Film Family. Funny enough, I have this friend stephen thanabalan, who pieced it together for me, although he sorta reckons robbie looks a little like liam gallagher of uk band oasis! Well, yeah totally! And hahah interstingly, Stephen told me that he read that Robert Carmine is the son of that woman Talia shire, who played Rocky's wife Adrienne in the hit films ROCKY! how awesome is that! Robbie had also done his own acting in cousin Sofia Coppola's film, Lick and hence, his other cousin is Nicolas Cage! In addition, Robbie's older brother Jason played the famous role of Max Fischer in the 1998 hit 'Rushmore' starring Bill Murray. Robbie did acting as a result of his brother's successful gig and went to audition in a teenage movie in 2000. Apparently, he was very musical and was thus selected for Disney's 'The Princess Diaries' (2001) because of that, not because he had connections with the Coppolas (i mean he said it was a 'Disney Film' like duh, totally!!!. Well, apparently robbie changed his surname twice in the credits of that film, once to become named after uncle nicolas cage and then to carmine to be named after grandad carmine coppola, but it didn't come off because the publicity promos were already set. Wonder where he got the name 'rooney' from.
Cheyenne Wong, Student
Melbourne, Australia
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