In the cramped “Old Office” of the Knitting Factory, The Shake played a handful of their radio-friendly tunes for the shivering crowd of twenty-somethings and smug Wall Street types.  The basement room was unheated save for the multitude of red light bulbs and hot air pulsating from singer  Jon Merkin’s head.  From the opener “Good Girl” it was apparent that The Shake is an extremely energetic band.  But high spirits only go so far and unfortunately for The Shake, it ultimately comes down to the music. 

The Shake play like teenagers who’ve just discovered power chords, their grinding, crunching guitars pummeling any hint of melody into a tuneless mass.  Merkin’s vocals are obviously modeled on Stephan Jenkins of Third Eye Blind or Oasis’ Liam Gallagher but he lacks both the charm and sneer of either.  Eliad Shapiro’s lead guitar work recalls the other Gallagher brother but like Merkin, he can’t build on his influences or even pay homage. 

Watching The Shake, it seems each member wants to be playing on his own.  They play less as a unit and more as four individuals, wandering in search of cohesion.  Each one wants to solo at the same time, resulting in a thick gunk from which little can be salvaged.

The Shake in their entirety also lack any real heart.  They don’t have the soulful ease of rock naturals nor do they possess the “I don’t give a shit” attitude so ubiquitous amongst indie rockers of today.  They are imbued with a healthy dose of self-confidence, yet they still play like they have a lot to prove, which they do.

Their confidence comes through in their willingness to play commercial-ready tunes full of canned riffs, Motley Crue drums, and bass lines lifted directly from Flea.  A cover of “My Generation” sounded like it was commissioned for a MacDonald’s ad, and therefore completely irrelevant.  What generation was Merkin referring to, exactly?

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