For a group with such an independent pedigree, Maritime’s one-off show at Los Angeles’ Viper Room was a welcomed retreat from their opening stint for pop rockers Jimmy Eat World. This was such an intimate gathering, singer Davey Von Bohlen (shown left) later bellied up to the bar with the twenty or so fans in attendance.
The chumminess was reminiscent of his good old days as an emo pioneer in The Promise Ring, where performances often sprung up in people’s basements and co-ops.
But these amicable fellows were a long way from their hometown of Milwaukee. The gritty Sunset Strip site of The Viper Room might’ve been an awkward fit for Maritime’s jangly, excitable tunes, but their effervescence never faded. Opening with the rollicking “Guns of Navarone” off their new release, Heresy and the Hotel Choir, Von Bohlen and crew exuded a Titanic-sized elation. Guitarist Dan Hinz chuckled as his visible drunkenness prevented him from mastering the keyboard on various songs.
Despite downtrodden lyrics and the danger that’s befallen Von Bohlen (he survived multiple brain surgeries and a horrendous van crash while in The Promise Ring), he and his Maritime mates put on a pleasant affair.
A refreshing, jovial tone was infused into the insulated shuffle of “German Engineering,” a standout track on 2006 album We, the Vehicles. The show turned serenely daffy when Von Bohlen rambled about how California will end up at the bottom of the sea when the big earthquake hits, as he choked on his own laughter. Washing the mirth down with another swig of his drink, he led his team into darker territory with the lovelorn “Don’t Say You Don’t.”
-Melissa Bobbitt
Photo credit: Melissa Bobbitt
Maritime: www.maritimesongs.com
Flameshovel Records: www.flameshovel.com