Spookey Ruben And The Young Coconuts @ NXNE 2007

Background/Composition: Progressive pop master Spookey Ruben, back from his current L.A. homebase, played to an enthusiastic hometown crowd. He recruited a band of three accomplished Toronto musicians whom he christened the Young Coconuts to back him up.

Grade: 80

Comment: Ruben and his Young Coconuts rocked the excited crowd with a slick batch of quirky pop ditties. It's a shame Ruben is not around Toronto to play more shows as he had the audience eating out of the palm of his hand for nearly the entire set. By the time he picked up a prop telephone and carried on a mock conversation with an imaginary girl during crowd favourite "Shauna," there wasn't a person in the place who didn't have their eyes on the stage. And with his distinctive high-pitched falsetto and frantic guitar work, Ruben proved he's still a wicked musician to boot.

Achievement of Rock 'n' Roll Expectations
80-100: Exceeds skill and knowledge expectations, i.e. rocked us so hard we peed our pants.
70-79: Achieves required skills and knowledge. Meets rock 'n' roll standard.
60-69: Demonstrates some skills. Approaches rock 'n' roll standard.
50-59: Demonstrates some required skills and knowledge in a limited way.
00-50: Has not demonstrated required skills or knowledge.

Learning Skills: E=Excellent, G=Good, S=Satisfactory, N=Sad Really

Oral And Visual Communication
Eye Contact: E
Pronounciation: G
Stage Presence: E
Stage Banter: E
Image: G
Appearance: G
Use Of Stage: E

Strengths/Weaknesses/NextStep: Ruben really knows how to work a crowd, adjusting his mic in different directions to make eye contact with different areas of the audience and rarely letting the dimpled smile leave his face. In fact, Ruben and his bandmates seemed to be having almost as great a time as the audience, and you can't argue with that.

Musical Analysis
Level Of Participation: E
Problem Solving: G
Teamwork: G
Work Habits: E
Organization: G
Audience Participation: E
Sound: E
Composition: E
Songs: G

Strengths/Weaknesses/NextStep: It was surprising to hear that Ruben and his band had only rehearsed for two days leading up to the show, as they played a remarkably tight set. There were more than enough hooks to catch the ears of even the most disinterested listener. Ruben gave it his all on his messy guitar solos and his bandmates locked into his groove at every turn.

Other Skills And Areas Of Interest
Charisma: E
Problem Solving: G
Teamwork: G
Sexiness: S
Haircut: S
Indie Rock Footwear: E
Nods To Disposible Fashion: G
Cool Equipment: E
Level Of Inebriation: G
Actual Ability: E

Strengths/Weaknesses/NextStep: The props and novelty-wear were out in full-force for Ruben's set. He walked on stage wearing a fake space helmet and what appeared to be a mechanic's outfit for a single solo tune, after which he was joined by his backing band who were all decked out in white T-shirts with fragments of the word coconut scrawled across the front. Suitable garb for the night's quirky performance.