Selection Reminder: The Passenger tonight at Back Booth!

Saturday, March 3 – The Passenger

$5

While former members of defunct local pop act XOXO have moved on to other pursuits – bassist Kyle Raker co-founded booking company (and recent OW cover subjects) Norse Korea Presents; guitarist Andy Matchett formed the Minks – the band’s singer, Noah Kussack, has been hard at work developing his own sound in the form of the Passenger, a rock-pop five-piece that also includes former XOXO drummer Beau Rothman. Judging by their first single, “Easy Come Easy Go,” they’ve traded subversively melancholic picker-uppers for outwardly anthemic, collegiate fist-pumpers – a sound that suits Kussack’s glossy vocals quite well. Tonight’s show (headlined by the un-retirement of one-time local standouts Inkwell) is their local debut gig, and according to Kussack, they already have an album – mixed by Ed Rose (The Get Up Kids, Motion City Soundtrack) – ready to go. – Justin Strout

This article appears in Feb 29 – Mar 6, 2012.