Conservative Dad

I am still reeling from the performance of Conservative Dad at The Back Room @ Piecora's last Saturday night. They played the small room brilliantly having transformed their set to an "acoustic" version in order to play to the size of the room.

Actually, singer/guitarist Matt Batey played an acoustic guitar instead of electric and guitarist CJ Stout hung out on the Rhodes and a toy Yamaha key board during the set. They toned down the loudness, playing at an excellent level perfect for the room: Not too loud, not too soft. The sound was, therefore, mixed very well. The result was a set of lush and meaningful arrangements seemingly performed with relaxed ease.

One reason I like seeing a band in a more softer setting is that you can hear the nuances of the song's arrangements, experience the overall tightness of the band and can hear the singing (and therefore the words) clearly. Con Dad put together a set that delivered on all three accounts. It was as if you had their new full length CD at almost full volume nicely EQ'd on a pro stereo system.

It is clear the band thought out the new "acoustic" arrangements and how they would have to be played differently than the regular versions of the songs. The challenge is to rework the songs without losing the essence of them or making them too sappy or going over the top and sparsing down way too much. ConDad did a fine job of treating the songs with just the right "tone downedness" without losing any of the original work. The depth, drama or emotion and original meaning of their music was that much more heard and felt as a result. As I said, I am still reeling...

Con Dad has a self-titled full length CD out now. I have been listening non-stop to the 12 track work CONSERVATIVE DAD: Con Dad LPsince I got it at the gig Saturday. This is pure indie rock bliss with a stroke of pop and a touch of angst to keep it interesting. Sparsley arranged, clear tracks, with Batey's clear, high and sparkling voice over crisp instrumentation make this freshman full length work a great debut from the up and coming NW band.

Along with a new CD, the band also has a new website. You can join their email list, order the CD and their earlier released EP (also self-titled) as well as check out their music there. The address, of course is, www.conservativedad.com - King Jill - Radio Free Seattle

Sometimes, like last week, Bobble Tiki lets someone else (usually Matt Driscoll) talk him into covering a certain show with his column. To be honest, Bobble Tiki’s a little lazy, and usually when you give him a chance to get out of work he’ll take the bait. That’s just the way Bobble Tiki rolls. When someone else has a good suggestion about what event Bobble Tiki should cover here in the Weekly Volcano, and it means Bobble Tiki needs to think just a little bit less that week — Bobble Tiki is typically all for it.


Sometimes, believe it or not, Bobble Tiki decides which show to cover in the Weekly Volcano because he actually knows something. It’s true. Sometimes a band or musician has a show scheduled and Bobble Tiki knows in his heart of hearts that it deserves ink. Bobble Tiki has seen many, many bands in his alcohol influenced life, and while it doesn’t raise his actual IQ or offer any real hope for self-betterment, Bobble Tiki does know a lot about a lot of bands. It’s one of Bobble Tiki’s few positive qualities.

And sometimes, like this week, Bobble Tiki just kind of wings it. When there’s no one around to tell Bobble Tiki what to do, and the big box of wine in his head doesn’t have any ideas of its own, Bobble Tiki flies by the seat of his pants — letting the most inconsequential of emotions or desires influence his column.

This week it was a funny name … or at least Bobble Tiki thinks it might be a funny name.
Saturday, Sept. 13 Seattle’s Conservative Dad will play Bob’s Java Jive. If you’ve got a rock/pop bone in your body — this show is sure to delight. Plus, Conservative Dad is a funny name, don’t you think? Bobble Tiki did, at least at first. Now he’s not so sure, but it was at least enough to draw Bobble Tiki in. From there Conservative Dad’s music does all the talking necessary.

A collaboration between four young musicians — all in their 20s and all fresh faced enough to look as though they could be Bobble Tiki’s love children from decades past — Conservative Dad is a surprisingly fresh mix of everything Bobble Tiki loves about rock. Urgent. Scrapping. Beautiful. Ferocious and fun as hell. Conservative Dad can run any play called — and they do so with a vigor that makes the package nearly irresistible.

Bobble Tiki caught up with Conservative Dad frontman Matt Batey this week, to get his thoughts his band’s sound, Tacoma, and that debatably funny name:

BOBBLE TIKI: First of all, talk about the makeup of this band. What makes Conservative Dad tick?

MATT BATEY: It’s always been exciting to play together because we put such an emphasis on the live show and experiencing the moment. Anytime we do anything, whether it’s writing a song, booking a show, or spending time in the studio, we constantly ask ourselves, “Is this right? Is this real?” Being so committed to the honest and genuine experience of music makes the band constantly rewarding for all of us.

TIKI: Who brings what to the table? Do you guys all have similar musical tastes, or is it varied?

BATEY: Our musical tastes vary quite a bit. We share a love for similar musical and philosophical principals, but the music we listen to ranges quite a bit. This keeps things interesting and exciting when we write and record, because Conservative Dad is a complete four-person collaboration. Every decision that gets made is made by all of us. None of us would have it any other way.

TIKI: Where’d the name come from? (Bobble Tiki thinks it’s hilarious, by the way)

BATEY: The voices of torrents are from one great tongue, the lions of the hills are the pure body of Buddha. “Isn’t that right?” he said to the teacher. “It is,” said the teacher, “but it’s a pity to say so.”

TIKI: That doesn’t sound very funny

BATEY: -silence-

TIKI: Anyway, what are you expecting from Bob’s Java Jive in Tacoma? Have you played Tacoma before?

BATEY: We never know what to expect when we play a show, even if we’ve played a place 20 times. That’s what keeps us interested. We’ve never played Tacoma before, but we’re looking forward to adapting to a new environment and giving our show to new people.

TIKI: What can people expect from your live show?

BATEY: We love to create moments in our music with other people, almost as an interactive experience. We encourage people to disregard the supposed separation between band and audience that makes most rock shows feel so impersonal. We put a lot of energy into the people who are watching, and if that energy comes back to us, it starts to snowball. It’s a really beautiful thing.

As usual, Bobble Tiki doesn’t care what you do this week because he doesn’t even know you. Unless you’re that old lady in line at the Top Foods last weekend who wouldn’t shut up about how Sarah Palin was so likeable she should have a reality television show about gutting large game and schlepping kids to hockey practice, then Bobble Tiki’s pretty sure he doesn’t want to meet you. If you are that women from Top Foods, then you know what Bobble Tiki said — and he still means it. Check out www.weeklyvolcano.com for all your South Sound World Wide Interweb needs, and consider that close enough. If you got any closer you could see Bobble Tiki is but a boy on the inside.

[Bob’s Java Jive, with Rising Tides, Microtia and Sammy Swell, Saturday, Sept. 13, 8 p.m., $5, 2102 S. Tacoma Way, Tacoma, 253.475.9843]

Bobble Tiki - The Weekly Volcano (Sep 11, 2008)
- The Weekly Volcano, Tacoma