The Return of the Return of the Rentals
How does a band that hasn’t released an album in six or seven years tour the U.S. and pull in large crowds at venues like the 9:30 Club – all without the financial support of a record label? Two words: Matt Sharp.
You probably remember Sharp playing bass in a little band called Weezer, circa 1994, before people stopped caring. Back in the Blue Album days, Weezer singer Rivers Cuomo commanded attention for crafting pop masterpieces such as “Buddy Holly” and “Undone -- The Sweater Song.” But it was Sharp who took center stage when a song called “Friends of P” exploded on the radio. Enter Sharp’s side project, The Rentals. Their debut was memorably named “Return of the Rentals.” Who were The Rentals? Where did they go? And why were they choosing to come back if nobody had heard of them? The band’s sound consisted of layers and layers of Moog, but it also benefited from Petra Haden of That Dog, who added a dose of sweet vocals and awesome violin stylings. The Rentals’ sound was so influential that Weezer adopted it partly for “Tired of Sex,” the opener on their second (and perhaps greatest) album Pinkerton, which was to be Sharp’s last recording with the band. From there on, The Rentals went out on their own. But after what some considered a disappointing second release, Seven More Minutes, Sharp abandoned the project and went on to record solo material.
Fast forward to August 5, 2006: The Rentals have returned ... again. Well, most of them.
Sharp, an Arlington, Va., boy, took the stage Saturday night at the 9:30 Club looking like a possessed Woody Allen, interacting with audience members and band members every chance he got. He graciously thanked the crowd for coming out to see a band with “no record to promote” and offered up all the fan favorites, such as “Please Let That Be You” and “The Love I’m Searching For.” The band, which consisted of mostly new members, then veered from their keyboard-heavy sound to present a new interpretation of “Sweetness and Tenderness,” switching to an acoustic arrangement – highlighting the song's inherent ... err ... sweetness and tenderness.
The middle section of the set followed suit, with slower numbers off of Seven More Minutes, but it picked up again with Rachel Haden singing a Weezer b-side she recorded with the band called “I Just Threw Away the Love of My Dreams." And Lauren Chipman filled in nicely on viola and vocals for the show stopper, “Waiting.” For an encore, the band covered a pitch-perfect rendition of Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side” transitioning into “Friends of P,” with the mediocre opening band Ozma joining them onstage.
Sharp ended the evening by promising to return after the new album is finished. For a title, we suggest The Second Coming of The Rentals. Welcome back, Mr. Sharp.