The OC: Every Real-Life Band That Played At The Bait Shop

The O.C.’s in-universe club, the Bait Shop, helped propel indie rock into the mainstream for a new generation of listeners during the early aughts.

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Music was an integral part of The O.C. and quite a few real-life bands played at the show’s in-universe club, the Bait Shop. Airing on Fox from 2003-2007, the show provided a fresh take on some well-worn tropes, though it did eventually go off the rails. The O.C. followed Ryan Atwood (Ben McKenzie), a smart, but tormented teen from a broken home, who was taken in by Sandy and Kirsten Cohen. Portrayed by Peter Gallagher and Kelly Rowan, the wealthy couple lived in Newport Beach, CA. They had a witty, but socially awkward son named Seth (Adam Brody), who needed a friend just as much as Ryan did. The “core four” – which also included Mischa Barton’s troubled girl-next-door, Marissa Cooper, and Seth’s childhood crush with hidden depths, Summer Roberts (Rachel Bilson) – navigated the treacherous waters of adolescence together, and they did it with an incredible soundtrack.

Music was woven into The O.C.’s DNA from the start, with Phantom Planet’s “California” (which served as the theme song) becoming quite ubiquitous as the show rose in popularity. Music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas, who also worked on Gossip Girl and Grey’s Anatomy, largely shaped the music taste of many viewers in the early aughts. When fans point to the show’s most memorable moments, they can name what song was featured: Ryan carrying an unconscious Marissa while Mazzy Star’s “Into Dust” played, Ryan and Marissa’s epic New Year’s kiss set to Finley Quaye’s “Dice”, or the use of Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek” during The O.C. season 2 finale as Marissa shot Trey – a scene that has since been parodied many times.

The O.C.’s sound was decidedly indie rock, a term that once stood for “independent”, but in the years since has become more of a sound in and of itself. Just to name a few, the show was soundtracked by amazing artists such as Jeff Buckley, Elliott Smith, The Dandy Warhols, and Eels. In fact, music was so prominently featured that Beck, Beastie Boys, and U2 all chose to premiere new material on the show. Much like Beverly Hills, 90210 had the Peach Pit and Buffy the Vampire Slayer had the Bronze before it, the show utilized its own music venue, the Bait Shop, which was introduced in season 2. As an added bonus, the place was run by Olivia Wilde’s Alex Kelly. Most of the bands who performed at the Bait Shop either already had songs prominently featured in the series or had been mentioned previously.

There were a couple of live performances on The O.C. before the Bait Shop’s debut as well. The gang went to see Rooney play a club in The O.C. season 1, episode 15, “The Third Wheel”, and Jem covered Paul McCartney’s “Maybe I’m Amazed”, live at Julie and Caleb’s wedding in the season 1 finale. T.I. even appeared in season 2, performing at an MTV Spring Break type event. Sandy Cohen himself performed at the Bait Shop as well, serenading Kirsten with Solomon Burke for their anniversary. The show also released six soundtrack albums.

The Walkmen

The Walkmen were the first band to play the Bait Shop on The O.C. in season 2, episode 3, “The New Kids on the Block”. Seth gave Summer tickets to share with her new boyfriend Zach in a bid to get her back, which works out about as well as you’d expect. The band, who formed in 2000, played “Little House of Savages” and “What’s In It For Me?” as drama unfolded at the club. Both tracks come from their excellent sophomore effort, Bows + Arrows. After several more albums, they sadly went on hiatus in 2014. Frontman Hamilton Leithauser has released more than one great solo album in the years since, most recently, The Loves of Your Life.

The Killers

The Killers appeared in The O.C. season 2, episode 4, “The New Era”, playing the Bait Shop. Although their first album had only recently released, even then, they were already a bit too well-known to play such a small venue. The Killers performed “Mr. Brightside” and “Everything Will Be Alright”, off their debut album, Hot Fuss. Their songs soundtracked an incredibly awkward “group hang” in which everyone had mismatched dates. The Killers also played the incredibly appropriate “Smile Like You Mean It”. Formed in 2001, the Vegas-based band has since become a huge success.

Modest Mouse

Modest Mouse spent years toiling in indie obscurity, despite their fervent fanbase. However, thanks to their massive hit “Float On” from Good News for People Who Love Bad News, the band attained new levels of fame in 2004 and appeared on The O.C. soon after. They played “The View” off that album when they performed at the Bait Shop in The O.C. season 2, episode 7, “The Family Ties”. Modest Mouse also played “Paper Thin Walls” off their beloved third studio album, The Moon & Antarctica. Their music served as the backdrop for Seth’s failed attempt at being a “bad boy” in an effort to impress Alex. The Portland-based band formed in 1992 and though they haven’t released a proper album since 2015’s Strangers to Ourselves, there is apparently one in the works.

The Thrills

Irish band The Thrills formed in 2001 and played the Bait Shop in The O.C. season 2, episode 9, “The Ex-Factor”. They performed “Saturday Night”, “Not for All the Love in the World” and “The Curse of Comfort”, all off their sophomore album, Let’s Bottle Bohemia. Seth isn’t exactly known for his patience, so when Alex’s ex showed up in town, he didn’t handle it well. There was quite a bit of drama that night, and not just for Seth. Ryan pushed Lindsay to hang out with Marissa and Summer, which was a pretty epic fail as well. Plus, Summer had a blowout with Zach. At least The O.C.’s drama played out while The Thrills performed. Unfortunately, they have been on hiatus since 2008.

Rachel Yamagata

The O.C. season 2, episode 11, “The Second Chance” featured Rachel Yamagata performing at the Bait Shop. The singer-songwriter from Arlington, Virginia played “Reason Why” as Marissa showed up looking for Alex. The song is from her 2004 album, Happenstance. In a sweet moment, Marissa and Alex’s romance truly began as the two held hands and watched Yamagata perform together. The artist’s last studio album, Tightrope Walker, was released in 2016.

Death Cab for Cutie

To Summer, Death Cab for Cutie was “one guitar and a whole lot of complaining”, but to Seth, they were the best band of his generation. Referenced more than perhaps any other band on The O.C., Death Cab seemed destined to play the Bait Shop from the moment it debuted. Formed in 1997, the band was certainly a bit too big to play the small venue in 2005. Nevertheless, their songs provided the backdrop for The O.C. season 2, episode 20, “The O.C. Confidential”, a somewhat strange 21 Jump Street-inspired installment. They performed “Title and Registration”, “Movie Script Ending”, and “Sound of Settling”, all while Ryan and Marissa attempted a sting operation to prove Trey’s innocence – although he was very much guilty. In a rather soul-crushing twist, Seth missed the show.

The Subways

A rare season 3 performance on The O.C., The Subways appeared in episode 7, “The Anger Management”. The English band played “Rock & Roll Queen” as Ryan and Marissa attempted to cheer up Johnny, and Taylor did her best to drive a wedge between Seth and Summer. They also performed “I Want to Hear What You Have Got to say” as a fight almost broke out between Ryan and Volchok. The Subways are still active, but their most recent eponymous album released in 2013.

Tom Vek

Also known as Tom Vek, Thomas Timothy Vernon-Kell played the Bait Shop in The O.C. season 3, episode 16, “The Road Warrior”. The English multi-instrumentalist performed “I Ain’t Saying My Goodbyes” as Marissa and Volchok made eyes at each other, breaking the hearts of The O.C. fans everywhere. Tom Vek’s last proper album, Luck, released in 2014.

Cobra Verde

The Bait Shop’s final performance was Cobra Verde, but they weren’t exactly themselves when they appeared on The O.C. Ryan has very different music taste from Seth, with Journey being his favorite band – though he’s not really that into music anyway. So, in season 3, episode 17, “The Journey”, Seth hired a band to play the Bait Shop for Ryan’s birthday party. However, rather than getting a Journey tribute band, Seth got a Foreigner one instead, because according to him, “Journey sucks.” They performed the ultimate cheesy ballad, “Waiting for a Girl Like You”. Cobra Verde formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1994. They are still active, but haven’t released an album since 2009. Theirs may have been the last performance on The O.C. but it was a memorable one.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/oc-show-bait-shop-real-bands-play/