Starfish Prime, SF’s Newest Indie Pop Band, Debuts in Front of Friends and Neighbors
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MUSIC SIDE DOOR, said a piece of paper taped to the front. The note was written hastily, in purple marker, with letters like squiggly tentacles. I lingered on the stoop, treating myself to a few lungfuls of chilly San Francisco air. The street was calm and illuminated by the gentle ooze of streetlamps. Cars rolled blankly past. To my left, I found a narrow tunnel guarded by a dismembered toilet (the bouncer for the evening?) and stooped ever so slightly, following the sound of music. One of the tunnel’s walls was decorated with spray paint, the cannisters tucked on a low shelf, while the other was part of the house’s garage. I peered through a small window and spotted a collection of bird statuettes, their wings stuck in eternal liftoff. As I half admired, half shuddered at the birds, someone stepped into the tunnel. They introduced themself as DJ (crucially, not a DJ) and asked who I was there to see. I interpreted the question as a hostile shakedown – Who do you know here? Should I let you in? – but, luckily, DJ registered the annoyance on my face and quickly clarified.
“I’m not gatekeeping. I’m just high.”
Ah, how lovely. Instant understanding. Content with our truce, I continued down the tunnel and emerged into a backyard filled with loose clusters of people, all of them there to see Starfish Prime, SF’s newest indie pop band. During our post-show interview, one of my first questions to Joey Goodman (guitar/lead vocals) was about the band’s name:
JG: It [Starfish Prime] was an old military operation where they tested nukes in space. Over the summer I got really into aliens and UFOs. You know Blink-182? The singer, he thinks aliens are real and everything. And he said in an interview that when they launched the nukes into space, it scared aliens, and that’s why they started appearing.
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| (All photos courtesy of Caro Smith.) |
People grooved on the patchy grass dancefloor while a DJ (named Luis) spun records from a low, wooden stage. His slick, tailored look was at odds with the vibe – more hip nightclub than DIY, indie crowd – but his supply of disco tunes was a welcome treat. Ropes of lights and an obligatory disco ball shimmered overhead, strung from a staircase to the trees. Some of the lights resembled illustrated models of white blood cells – puffy little asterisks.
Almost immediately, I spotted Emily, a friend from college who I had not seen in a couple years. It was through her Instagram reposts that I learned about Starfish Prime’s inaugural performance. She led me inside, proffered a beer, and introduced me to her roommate, Avery, who gave me the scoop about the hapless toilet out front. A pair of sunglasses spelled its doom, she said. Somehow, the frail plastic shades had dealt a blow to the toilet’s tubes from which it did not recover. The kitchen table was littered with alcohol and Domino’s pizza, ostracizing the lone vegetable tray – the baby carrots morose and awkward. Eclectic art (much of it DJ’s, I later learned) decorated the walls. In the bathroom, on either side of the new-and-improved toilet, hung slender, Japanese style paintings of birds – cranes, I think. On the window, a white stencil: did the clintons really kill that many people?
Back outside, I introduced myself to Joey, who had expressed enthusiasm about an interview when I reached out via Instagram. Both he and Nathan Kruse (keys/backup vocals) had, like me and Emily, graduated from UC Santa Barbara. After talking about playing music together for years, the two friends had finally made it happen, thanks in large part to the additions of Alex Wolfert (bass) and Ben Stolz (drums), who Joey met at the beginning of summer. In person, Joey was friendly but skittish. His long, curly hair, clipped back by a pair of sunglasses (toilets beware!), reached the hood of his brown sweatshirt. Shorts, sandals, and mismatched socks completed the look. It was only in hindsight that I realized his skittishness was likely product of pre-show jitters:
JG: I was less nervous than I thought I’d be. Though I was quite nervous for sure. I was in marching band throughout high school and all kinds of extracurricular, small bands, but I usually played drums. I’m not scared to do that. I played for so many years. But this was only my second time singing in front of people. For so long singing was a personal, hide-in-my-room type of thing. It took a long time to feel comfortable doing it.
Starfish Prime had been practicing since early August, working toward tonight’s performance. However, before the group assembled in full, Joey taught his songs – most of them written a few years ago – to one or two members at a time. Despite being an occasional poet, Joey said is mostly drawn to songwriting. “I used to go to a poetry group,” he elaborated. “Someone said my poems sounded like song lyrics – not knowing that I also do that. So I feel like all roads lead to this.” When I asked what prevented him from performing or releasing his music earlier, he was candid:
MR: It feels very selfish.
JG: Exactly. But I got older and more confident and felt like the clock was ticking. If there’s a time to spend all your time playing music, it’s while you’re young.
Youth was the unifying feature of the crowd, too – a gathering of friends, friends of friends, and even a couple neighbors attracted by the hubbub. As the backyard filled with 20-somethings, I moseyed around, seeking the best vantage point – something inconspicuous yet unobstructed, and preferably with a solid surface for my notebook. I settled on the staircase landing, halfway up its rickety spiral, pleased with my bird’s-eye view. From the stage, Nathan addressed the crowd: “Attention, everybody. We will begin shortly. As soon as Joey returns from the bathroom.” A smile twinkled across his face. His blue sweater, worn over a cream turtleneck, featured a white dove in flight. Ben, dressed in all white, was tucked beneath a tree in the back, while Alex, clad in a hoodie and sweatpants, occupied the lefthand side of the stage. “I’d like to take this moment,” Nathan continued, “to inform everyone that you can come closer. If you want.”
The crowd eagerly closed in, then stirred anxiously. “It’s 9:11,” someone shouted. Were they going to make a wish? Nathan, Ben, and Alex did some spooky noodling, to which another audience member improvised lyrics in a Bob Dylan voice. A couple minutes later, when Joey hopped onstage and slung his guitar, he offered a clipped “thanks for coming” before launching into the opening number, “Modern Warfare IV.” Upbeat but mellow, even wistful, it did a great job setting the tone. It let us know what their sound was about without boxing themselves into an obvious mold. The tune, which at points reminded me of Elliot Smith, featured well-crafted, easily traceable climaxes, my favorite being the vague yet evocative chorus break: “Before we’re gone / Gone again.”
Met with a supportive cheer, the band rode straight into “California Frown,” a smooth though occasionally stagnant track about west coast living. There was an interesting harmony on the second half of each chorus or pre-chorus line that I wish they did more with, but whatever the song lacked, the group made up for with excellent control over mood – a strength displayed throughout the set. Plus, Joey appeared to loosen up, striking a brief yoga tree pose as he strummed his guitar. Two people in the front row – Emily and Avery, it turned out – lobbed shouts of “I know you!” in a mock swoon, garnering some chuckles from the crowd. Though it didn’t feel as complete as the opener, “California Frown” nonetheless deepened my sense of Starfish Prime’s overall sound.
MR: Is there any particular way you would describe your music? Emily called it “timeless, immaculate pop.”
JG: That’s very nice. That’s good. Yeah, I guess I’d say that. Usually I say rock and roll. It almost feels silly to be in this year and play regular instruments that aren’t crazy-sounding.
MR: Not super experimental.
JG: Exactly, it’s real straight ahead. But it’s pop songs for sure. I pretty much just like pop songs – verse, chorus, lyrics you can remember.
In the next song, “California’s Fine,” pop lyrics met country twang as Joey daydreamed about moving to Alabama and “getting busy with a southern girl.” It carried a consistent, swaying melody as well as the cheery melancholia that country music does so well. Ultimately, despite his fantasies of southern life, Joey settled on a reticent endorsement of California, the only home he’s ever known. “You’re right this place is expensive,” he crooned while Nathan tickled an octave. “And we’ve got some folks here / that might be a little too progressive.” I noticed a neighbor watching from an upstairs window. As the trees rustled, Nathan strolled around a brief solo before winding down.
“That’s the second California song in a row if anyone’s counting,” quipped Joey. “They say write what you know.” When I asked him about his favorite moment of the night, he pinpointed “California’s Fine”:
JG: It’s goofy and fun. It’s got every trope. It’s easy for people to laugh at. I started to love country music recently because it’s surprisingly self-aware. I like that you can do so much with the same easy chords, with jeans and trucks and beers.
The fourth song, referred to simply as “Neil Young” for its similar musical styling, was a bit of a snoozer (though, to be fair, I would say the same thing about Neil Young’s music). I wished it was a little wilder, with a more pronounced groove. Whenever my wish seemed on the verge of coming true, the song pivoted back to a bland dawdle. It seemed trapped between a slow, tame burn and a more audacious, more powerful jam. However, it did deliver some excellent moments: nifty individual playing from all members, the clearest vocal harmony between Nathan and Joey, and a clever, tongue-in-cheek lyric: “To see what I was missing / It was nothing but my life.”
Joey gave a “two song warning,” then the group performed a cover of Neutral Milk Hotel’s “Gardenhead / Leave Me Alone.” Nathan sat out the intro, blowing on his hands to keep them warm, then hopped in partway through. Joey’s voice sounded great – freer and rawer than it had all night. It was cool to see him having fun and really getting into the song. After “Gardenhead,” Joey gave the third or fourth “thanks for coming” of the evening. Later, I joked that he sounded like a tired boss at the end of an office’s holiday party. “I could work on that,” he admitted with a chuckle. “Though I would prefer that to some guy who is like: ‘Let’s fucking rock!’”
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| (All photos courtesy of Caro Smith.) |
The closer, “62nd Street,” was my favorite song of the night. Slow but dynamic, measured rather than meandering, it featured an awesome chorus and showcased the group’s arrangement skills. When I asked Joey about his songwriting process, he used this song as an example:
JG: I drive around until I have a good idea. Usually a phrase. It’s fun to have a pun and use that to think of how the song will sound. In “62nd Street,” I liked the pun of 62nd – it’s the street name but also there are 60 seconds in a minute. It was easy to write a sad, weird breakup song around it.
MR: That one had the most distinct mood to me. I loved the bouncy lead-in to the chorus.
JG: That part got so much better. With the band, it became more of a moment, which it never was in my head. I used to think I could just do everything myself, but there are a ton of advantages to playing with people who are good and have good ideas.
MR: How has it been working with them?
JG: Amazing. They’re great. Everyone seems like the same dude.
MR: Extensions of the same being.
JG: More or less. And they’re also really easy to get along with, which is the best. Sometimes musical talent and nice personalities don’t match up.
After the applause settled, Joey took the mic one more time. Despite ardent requests for a “Free Bird” encore, he kept it short and sweet: “We’re done now.” Setting down their instruments, the band members waded into the crowd to mingle with their friends. The show was a success, and Starfish Prime, eager to ride the momentum, already has plans for the future:
JG: I’d like to play in a venue. That’d be good. I also want to play in LA and Santa Barbara. Going to UCSB and playing in Isla Vista all the time is fun because there are so many drunk, wandering people. It’s easy to get an excited audience, which is good for confidence. A good order would be: release a single, then perform more shows. This show was the first big goal, so now that we’re past it, we’ll see.
MR: How does it feel to perform?
JG: It feels great. It’s easy when the crowd is all your friends at your house. If I fuck up, who cares. It was really fun. And it’ll get less scary, I hope.
Follow Starfish Prime on Instagram!
Setlist:
“Modern Warfare IV”
“California Frown”
“California’s Fine”
“Neil Young”
“Gardenhead / Leave Me Alone” by Neutral Milk Hotel
“62nd Street”
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