Hot Rod Circuit is climbing the pop-rock ladder with style. In five years since forming in Alabama, they have put out several demos and independent albums, signed with Vagrant Records and released their most recent effort, Sorry About Tomorrow. The 11 tracks are intelligent, emotional and very loud indie. It’s Hot Rod’s anti-emo compilation. It has elements of punk, rock and hardcore without the metal.
The band stopped at Maxwell’s at 1039 Washington St. in Hoboken on Feb. 12 as part of their East Coast tour. Last year they played more than 175 shows. This year they hope to do the same. A formidable live band, Hot Rod sold-out the popular venue and rocked to the area’s hyperactive GenNext-ers. They opened with a mini-tribute to Frank Sinatra and played songs from Sorry right off the bat. When the evening turned a little more intimate, fans sang along to "The Pharmacist," a not-so-soft ballad. The video for the song is on MTV2’s rotation.
They also didn’t disappoint by going to the vault to play some of their older Been There, Smoked That songs. Singer Andrew Jackson was friendly to the crowd, and when it came time for an encore, fans offered to buy them beer after the show. Michael Poorman continues to impress crowds with his talents on drums, and Casey Prestwood (guitar) entertains with weird onstage antics. Their set was a bit short (less than an hour), but nevertheless it was a solid performance. Retisonic opened the show. They sounded like they were rehearsing, instead of playing in front of a sold-out crowd.
Hot Rod is emerging out of the big shadow of fellow label-mate The Get Up Kids. In their current tour, they are headlining medium-size venues with Reunion Show, a new band from Long Island. Sorry is expected to catch on at many college stations.
Hot Rod Circuit will play at the Knitting Factory in New York on March 22, and Philadelphia’s North Star on March 23. More information can be found at www.hotrod-circuit.com. q