Live Music Roundup: Who to See This Week

Switchfoot, Relient K
Monday, November 14
Two soundtrack essentials of Christian youth retreats everywhere, Switchfoot and Relient K gently nudged the sheltered kids of the 90s into the unholy universe of Green Day, Weezer and Blink-182. Driven by moderate chord progressions that suggested some edge without raising eyebrows from helicopter parents, the Jesus-lovin' bands served as a sort of gateway drug for cautious preteens facing the seductive lure of pop rock’s anarchy. The youthful intensity of Switchfoot’s “Dare You to Move” and Relient K’s “Be My Escape” prepped novice ears for the harsher noise of whatever surf rock played inside the dim corridors of Hollister and Abercrombie. Even now a certain thrill accompanies these family-friendly ghosts of the past. Their upbeat riffs and repetitive choruses about seizing the day and moving forward despite negativity made us who we are today. And, hey, everyone has to start somewhere. $43, 7:30pm, The Aztec Theatre, 104 N. Saint Mary’s