>>PREVIEW: dada, Jerad Finck, 7Horse, This City of Takers, Sunday February 10 at Old Rock House

When it comes to well-crafted 90's/early 00's power-pop that has withstood the test of time, it really doesn't get a whole lot better than dada. The Los Angeles trio, consisting of guitarist Michael Gurley, bassist Joie Calio, and drummer Phil Leavitt, created some of the most melodic and memorable music of that era; served up with tight three-part harmonies and more hooks than most coat racks. Best known for their hits “Dizz Knee Land” and “Dim”, both off of their debut (and arguably finest) release Puzzle, dada also has a strong reputation for playing marathon-length shows, which generally last about two and a half hours (almost twice as long as most rock groups play these days, outside of the jam-band category). After a several year hiatus from national touring, they are currently making up for that lost time with an impressively extensive (and most likely exhausting), six week, 34-date tour that is a well-deserved celebration of dada's 20th anniversary.

What separates this monumental tour from others before it is that the band will be (a) playing towns that it has rarely, if ever, played before, and (b) performing songs that it has seldom, if ever, performed live. According to the band's website, Calio promises they'll be “digging deep into our roots—examining and celebrating them."

Another intriguing aspect of this tour is that one of the two opening acts (both will play on every date) is a countrified blues, drums/electric guitar/harmonica duo comprised of Calio and Leavitt called 7Horse. This isn't just dada reworked or revamped; it's a totally new, fresh-sounding project that Calio says “allowed two friends to discover radically new sides of each other.” In addition to arriving early enough to catch their set, you should check out their highly addictive song “Low Fuel Drug Run” online—it's pretty damn great.
Michele Ulsohn