It was a typical Friday night at Old “I” this past week, with the action starting off with a band called “Desario”. The act is comprised with members of past Sac bands The California Oranges, Holiday Flyer, The Sinking Ships and Rocketship. The four piece delivers melodic rock that I would quantify as a mix of The Gin Blossoms, Weezer, and The Killers.

I guess you could describe Desario as “Nerd Rock”, for they look the part, with specs (three Rivers Cuomo look a likes), plaid shirts and crooning rock songs that cry of insecurity and uncomfortability. The tempos and intensities of the songs remained constant for the most part, missing opportunities for contrast.

The guitar melodies the band layed down were the highlight. Combined with solid musicianship and composition by the entire band, Desario has certainly rehearsed and formed a tightness. The vocals were the most glaring problem with the performance, often weak and seemingly unconfident, and obviously without good tone and intensity.

Songwriting will be a hurdle for the band as they compete for a small percentage of Sacramento music goers that seek out original music. Without infectious melodies or catchy choruses, Desario can best hope to be scenery on the scene, as opposed to a coveted location on the map. But the band is still developing; catch them in the near future to gauge the progress, for they have promise.

Ratings:

Musicianship: 8
Songwriting Prowess : 4
Stage Presence : 3