The Rocket Summer and Joe Brooks at Stubbs Barbecue in Austin, April 2013

I love going to see relatively unknown bands like The Rocket Summer and Joe Brooks in small clubs like Stubbs in Austin for the same reason I love to go to college sporting events—the performers genuinely love what they’re doing and their enthusiasm is contagious. That was evident before the first downbeat of The Rocket Summer’s part of the show when Bryce Avary, who basically is The Rocket Summer, took the stage. The smile on his face, the heartfelt gratitude he displayed before he played a single note was too sincere to fake. He was happy to be there. You can’t pay someone enough money to generate that kind of vibe but for people like him and Joe Brooks, the middle act, it just seeps out of them. Once a band gets some money and notoriety, they become more seasoned and professional, but they lose some of the charm that got them there to begin with. It’s refreshing to see the semi-pros suit up and take the field.