The Shore makes waves at Charter Club performance

As 10:30 p.m. drew closer the members of The Shore paced around the Charter Club nervously, wondering where the crowd was. Guitarist Rick Porter hovered near the door, apparently hoping a throng of fans would bust through to support the band at any moment. Singer/guitarist and songwriter Ben Ashley appeared in the main room for a few seconds to scope out the situation before quickly disappearing again back into the dressing room. As Porter shot a weary smile to bassist Kyle Mullarky and drummer John Wilmer, it seemed he'd accepted that the band would have to begin the show playing to a nearly empty club. "That particular show was...interesting. Usually people are more geared up. I mean, in the city, everyone's out on a Friday night. It's funny how scheduling works like that, y'know?" Ashley said a few days later in an interview with The Daily Princetonian.

Although the club became more crowded as the band played, it was still relatively empty by the time The Shore finished their 45-minute set. Perhaps it was a lack of publicity for the show, or simply the fact that most students simply don't go to the Street on Friday nights, but those who did not see The Shore missed an important opportunity: the chance to see a rock band with the potential for greatness perform in its infancy.

Formed in the summer of 2002, The Shore has achieved much in the short time they've been together. Already part of Maverick Records' stable of recording artists, The Shore's eponymous debut has achieved its fair share of hype. "We've worked really hard just to get where we are now, and we know there's still a long way to go...but there's validation there, after spending some years working. It's a good feeling," Ashley said.

Although "Alternative Press" magazine has called The Shore "the best Britpop band in all of California," Ashley was quick to dismiss the Britpop label, saying, "We like to see ourselves as something like a modern Buffalo Springfield or The Byrds. But as for the Britpop stuff...I don't see that heavy an influence." Still, some of the band's dreamier and more ethereal songs, like the debut single "Hard Road," smack of Coldplay and The Verve.

Moreover, Ashley's voice is, at times, frighteningly similar to that of ex-Verve frontman and current solo artist Richard Ashcroft. "It's definitely a compliment," he said of comments he's received, "He's a good singer. It doesn't bother me, it's not as if I go out there and do my best Richard Ashcroft impression."

The Shore's hard work is easily visible and audible while performing. As musicians, they are eerily tight, perfectly together. Wilmer's skills on the drums are particularly worthy of note: his timing is impeccable, and despite a few cymbal stand malfunctions, he played a nearly perfect set. Ashley said the band's musical cohesion is in large a result of the closeness of the band members: "(The Shore's unity) is absolute. You kinda have to be, being around each other so much and away from home. It's an us-against-the-world kinda thing. It's critical to the music functioning."

But while the music does indeed function quite nicely, there are certain aspects of the band's stage show that do not fare as well. Porter and Mullarky, though prodigiously talented musicians, seemed to not feel as at home onstage as Ashley. While this degree of humanity and normality is admirable in a rock band, it is somewhat at odds with the persona that the band's music and Ashley's look suggest.

Aesthetically, Ashley resembles a typical '70s rock god: straight shaggy hair covering his face, tight jeans and a Gibson Les Paul guitar slung low across his body. While he nearly fits the bill, there are moments when it seems it's just an act. He is too apologetic to the crowd, not confident enough in his own abilities and prone to overly long and awkward silences between songs. It seems he is caught between the star he knows he can be and the person he currently is.

Admittedly, these minor faults are simply the result of a lack of experience and, without a doubt, will be remedied over time. While the members of The Shore have all had significant experience playing music, Ashley admits that this is one of his first times in the spotlight: "I've only been a frontman a couple of times, writing on the side. But this was a natural thing, really, I ended up writing some songs, and I needed to sing them. I needed to have them make sense."

It is for this reason that their performance at Charter on Nov. 19th was so special. The Shore is a great band on the verge of excellence, and those at the show were able to see them just before they took that step. The Shore's music is already strong; all the band needs to do is become as comfortable with the crowd as they are with each other. "Egotistical? Narcissistic bastards? No, none of us are like that," Ashley proudly sai., "But we do have big dreams and epic intentions."