Tsunami Bomb

Live at the Glasshouse DVD (2005)

Jordan Rogowski

Having never even heard a single song by Tsunami Bomb before I watched this DVD, I have to say, I'm pretty damn impressed.

After having watched the Dance Hall Crashers DVD, which came from the same series released by Kung Fu, I was anticipating the production being spot on, and it doesn't disappoint. Just as with DHC, it's extremely professionally done, with a great variety of shots and angles, crystal clear picture and sound, and just a great overall feel that really enhances the performance. As usual, the majority of the camera focus is reserved for the singer, in this case Agent M, but it's a smart decision here again.

Agent M has a terrific stage presence, and right away it's evident that it's going to be the most impressive part of the DVD. Not only does she have a commanding and entertaining stage presence, but her voice is able to be a real force as well. Those same notes she hit on record are thankfully no problem live. She covers the entire stage during virtually every song, and does her best to get a lot of the crowd involved with singing, screaming, and chanting along. But it's not just the vocalist who takes an active role in the band's live show and stage presence, as both the bassist and guitarist spin and thrash around during Tsunami Bomb's rowdy punk anthems. The guitarist and bassist get involved, and still manage to come across sounding extremely solid, and just the right volume as well.

It takes a while to get things really going, and really energized, but when the band plays "20 Going On…," and the bassist and guitarist is able to really get into the backup vocals, the crowd starts to go nuts. Agent M's harsh scream towards the end of the song only further energizes them, and it seems they have a second breath of life for every song that follows, playing a great mix of songs from both of their albums. This DVD was actually recorded a few days before The Definitive Act was released, so their seems to be some favoritism geared towards that album, but the crowd responding, singing along as best they could with what little of the new material they knew. 19 songs later, at the very end of the set, the band was still just as full of energy as when they started, and the crowd was receptive to their display of rowdy punk rock.

For somebody who had never heard the band, I was definitely impressed by Tsunami Bomb. Terrific stage presence, electric energy, and some truly solid and energetic punk rock jams, there's a lot to like for new and old fans just the same.