Ed Burke Reviews Viv Live

by Ed Burke
St. Michaels College Progaming Board, September 21st, 2004

The San Francisco rock band VIV recently returned to St. Michael's College in a rather radical departure from last year's plugged-in, psychedelic, DVD-light-show madness. This time around, the band came to our Alliot Student Center armed only with two acoustic guitars, an acoustic bass, electric violin, and a harmonica thrown in for good measure. That's right, the alternative rockers who had blown the roof down at last year's first fall coffee house were now un-plugging, and letting raw vocals and musicianship take hold of the evening. Apparently, the crowd of 30-40 SMC students loved it!

With an acoustic show almost as powerful as Eric Clapton's infamous unplugged MTV gig several years ago, (ancient history for those of you born after Generation X), the three members Matt, Erik and Pie took the audience on a tour of their absolutely superb sophomore release "Flawed", and went back in the not so distant past to their songs from the self-titled debut, also equally superb and outstanding. The one song bridging the gap between past and present, though, continues to blow me away. The song is called "Green", and VIV recorded a new, much better version for their new album.

"Green" is a unique song, and inspiring. With it's pseudo-Celtic fiddle intro (long live Pie!), sutble, mandolin-like guitar chords, powerful drum beats, occasional, punchy bass riffs and extra, added impassioned vocals at the end, "Green" has truly become a song suitable for many tastes. The lyrics are just as unique and mysterious as the background music. The lyrics to "Green" seem to have the aura that most VIV lyrics have going for them: at first listen, they sound like funny, absurd bits of gibberish, but upon second, third or fourth listen to the song, you think: "everything and one turns green...and therefore I win...hmmm....this must have a hidden meaning". Matt and the Boys have so inconveniently left out the stories behind the songs in the liner notes, and so perhaps it must be up to the listener to interpret the lyrics themselves. Only God and the band know what they're talking about.

However you interpret the lyrics, there is no arguing though that VIV is going places. Having the fortune to get their songs played on nationally syndicated shows such as "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy", and on national networks such as MTV and ESPN, they are beginning to put their name our there in large, flashy, yet subtle John Hancock signatures. One of the band's only flaws though, (excuse the pun), was dropping drummer Steve Bowman, who had previously lent his talents to the band after playing for signed groups the Counting Crows and Third Eye Blind. Not to say that I support the big guys, which I don't, but I met Steve last September at the band's first gig here. He was totally awesome! VIV's new drummer Andrew and keyboard player Justus are equally as cool as well.

To close, VIV has got to be the first, so-called "alternative" band that I, being mostly a fan of reggae, world music, jazz, and blues, have ever taken an interest in. In my few yeas at my college radio station, I have been turned of by all those "punk" bands that just seem to distance themselves from others, and make up meaningless songs that don't seem go anywhere. This is not the case with VIV. They are, as I see it, a punk band for those who do not like punk, and they're about to make it big. I guess all that remains to be said is: Look, Ma, no record deal!