Although a decent amount of fans showed up to rock out power pop-style to Rooney at the Glass House in Pomona on Sunday, the fact that there weren’t more people in attendance (not to mention that more than a few people there apparently couldn’t care less) emphasized that this band is a victim of the “out of sight, out of mind” mentality so prevalent in a business known for its fleeting nature.
Back in 2004, Rooney scored seemingly overnight success with a pair of singles from its self-titled debut LP (the Cars-inspired “I’m Shakin'” and the catchy-as-hell-despite-its-depressing-as-hell-lyrics “Blueside”) after the band appeared on the then-white hot series “The O.C.”
Critics claimed that lead singer/guitarist Robert Schwartzman was capitalizing on his older brother Jason’s fame as an actor and member of Phantom Planet, but the band’s debut album still doubled in sales after its appearance on “The O.C.”
Rooney attempted to cut a follow-up album, but the band’s dissatisfaction with the songs and disagreements with label Geffen Records delayed the album’s release by two years.
Now, Rooney’s second album “Calling the World” is finally out, but pop culture has moved on without the band. The album’s first single, “When Did Your Heart Go Missing?,” hasn’t caught fire like “I’m Shakin'” and “Blueside” even though it’s just as good as those two hits, and many of the kids who once looked to Rooney for their pop/rock fix have moved on to the likes of Paramore and other bands part of the Pete Wentz empire. Even “The O.C.” is no longer on the air.
Still, despite no longer being the power-pop poster boys they were just three years ago, the guys on this evening pounded out relentlessly catchy and upbeat rock perfect for a midsummer night.
Opening for Rooney was a pair of L.A.-based pop/rock bands, Big City Rock and Everybody Else.
Big City Rock got much of the crowd moving with its retro-minded dance rock, although lead singer/guitarist Nate Bott seemed to be on autopilot throughout the set.
Everybody Else then proved that old school power pop is alive and well with its energetic set even though front man/guitarist Carrick Moore Gerety’s voice was hoarse because of a sore throat. In fact, with its combination of beyond-addictive chord changes and Gerety’s quivering-yet-melodic vocals, the trio sounds like ’70s cult favorite Big Star if it were fronted by The Academy Is… singer William Beckett.
Finally, Rooney took the stage and took the hearts of all the 15-year-old girls in attendance.
Although the 14-song set mainly consisted of tracks from “Calling the World,” Schwartzman and company threw in a decent share of cuts from their debut album to prove they weren’t just looking to plug their new CD.
Rooney appropriately kicked off its set with the opening tracks from both its albums, the Phantom Planet-esque title track from “Calling the World” and “Blueside” from the band’s debut.
After the uptempo and upbeat “Stay Away” maintained the momentum established by “Blueside,” the band shifted gears with “Are You Afraid?,” a claustrophobic track from “Calling the World” that provides a glimpse at the darker side of Rooney while showcasing some awesome vocoder-enhanced vocals.
Throughout the set, Schwartzman sought to get the crowd involved in his own unique way. When he mentioned that he was feeling hot, he jokingly told the crowd to strip and even offered the “ultimate Rooney prize” to the person who finished stripping first.
Other than Schwartzman’s banter, the performance was business as usual for Rooney, but in the best way possible. Guitarist Taylor Locke displayed his underrated guitar work with some electrifying and well-placed solos (yes, Rooney can actually rock at times), bassist Matthew Winter proved he’s still too cool for school by leaving his sunglasses on and not showing any emotion during his performance, and keyboardist Louie Stephens showcased his prowess on the electrical ivories.
If there was any flaw with the band’s set, it was that Rooney’s performance of “I’m Shakin'” sounded rather uninspired and seemed to lack the heaviness of the original recording, perhaps indicating that the band is getting tired of playing its best-known song.
Fortunately, Rooney bounced back with a rousing encore made up of the one-two punch of the keyboard-driven “When Did Your Heart Go Missing?” and “Simply Because.” In particular, Schwartzman seemed so excited while singing “Heart” and getting the audience to clap along that one could easily sense this is a song he truly loves and believes in.
Overall, Rooney pulled off an exuberant set that emphatically proved the band doesn’t deserve to be written off as a two-hit wonder.