*CONCERT REVIEW*
*Retrieved from Crazewire site on July 21st, 2003*

Rooney is Throwing a Party
And Everyone's Invited

Tell your friends, family, and fellow music lovers to "rest easy," because rock 'n roll is in good hands. In front of a packed, bouncing, bobbing, nodding, crowd at Trees, a popular downtown Dallas venue, Rooney breathed new life into music fans of all ages.

If you have been tirelessly searching for a way to respond to seemingly endless questions regarding whether this generation will ever produce anything more musically meaningful than a P.Diddy remix, we may have just found part of the answer. This answer, an emphatic and resounding "YES," is not simply a proclamation that we have found something new, per se. The music and lyrics written by Rooney's charismatic front-man, Robert Carmine, reflect the acknowledgement of the need for something unique, however fail to ignore the possibility that it can be derived from a harmonious blend of music from our past coupled with the indie rock attitude and appeal of the present. Influenced by historically acclaimed artists such as the Beach Boys, Beatles, and The Cars, Rooney produces a sound that allows fans of myriad tastes to feel at home. Some say, "if The Strokes covered Beach Boys tunes, it would sound something like Rooney." Listening to their self-titled debut on Geffen Records, such a quote may hold true, however, this is just the "tip of the iceberg" as Rooney tour manager, Ted Keedick notes. Give the naturally catchy 40-minute album a spin, and you'll soon find that the "Strokes doing Beach Boys" analogy will be lost amongst tunes dripping with hints of Weezer, Blur, ELO, and fellow-L.A. success Phantom Planet, amongst many other sounds that they have shaped into their very own.

Monday's show at Trees confirmed hopes that the rumors about this California band of 20-somethings were true: rock 'n roll IS in good hands. Beginning with the "I'm Shakin" opener, fans joined Rooney for over an hour of non-stop bouncing, nodding, bobbing, and all-out rocking. The set and encore included all 11 tracks from their recently released debut album, and a perfectly convincing cover of the Ramones' "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow," which appears on Ramones tribute album, "We're a Happy Family." Although the 5-piece band moved through its set with a seamless flow and ease, perhaps most impressive was the cohesive, engaging on-stage energy of the band, and its ability to connect with the audience.

Rooney is throwing the party, and you're ALL invited. Your Beatles-loving mother and father, whose fears that the musical contributions of this generation would never eclipse pop radio gems such as "Who let the dogs out?" and "Oops, I did it again," are invited. Your teen sister, whose magazine cut-outs of "gorgeous rock-star gods" from Lennon to Casablancas adorn her wall and locker, will be adding Carmine soon. She's invited. And you, music lover, who have patiently suffered through Britney, N*SYNC, and Creed, in hopes that The Strokes were, in fact, just the "tip of the iceberg," you're invited. Rooney will continue a headlining US tour through the end of June, will join up with Lollapalooza during July, and will visit the UK and Japan in late-July and early August. RSVP at their website.

-Taylor Smiley