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TV Smith's Adverts

May 18, 2025 By Matthew Berlyant Photography by Matthew Berlyant Web Exclusive

WHAT. A. SHOW! Those were my first thoughts after TV Smith’s incredible set here a few days at TV Eye. In his first visit to the U.S. since 2009, he assembled a band to play 1977-1979 era Adverts songs, many of which have rarely been played live since their original late ‘70s run. While Smith remains the only original member, the show was a marvelous success for a number of reasons. First and foremost was Smith himself. At 69 years old, he gave off more inspired, impassioned energy and unshakeable belief in his songs and messages than most musicians half of his age or less. He darted around the stage like a prancing cobra and it was impossible to take your eyes off of him, and impossible not to sing along to such Adverts classics as opener “No Time to Be 21” and the closing main set trifecta of “Gary Gilmore’s Eyes,” “Bored Teenagers,” and the immortal “One Chord Wonders.”

Not only that, but we also got a lot of rarely played Adverts deep cuts, my favorites being “Great British Mistake,” “Television’s Over” (from their underrated 1979 2nd album Cast of Thousands), and especially “On the Roof” (like most of the material, from their immortal 1978 debut Lp Crossing the Red Sea with The Adverts), the impassioned chorus and incredible vocal melody which made me almost tear up at various points. For the encore, he and his incredibly tight, young band came back out and played the title track of “Cast of Thousands,” another rarely performed Adverts song.

While I have been fortunate enough to see TV Smith perform on several occasions in the 2000s, once in a solo set at Maxwell’s in 2003 where he opened for The World Inferno Friendship Society, and another in 2009 at Johnny Brenda’s in Philadelphia when he opened for the late Jay Reatard, whose band backed him on several Adverts classics, this ENTIRE SET full of Adverts songs was a real treat, to say the least. To be honest, this was my favorite set of music that I’ve seen so far this year by anyone and it will be very, very difficult to top!

It should also be noted that openers Mala Vista, a New York-based power pop/punk ‘n roll group, were terrific as well, expertly splitting the difference between ‘77 style punk aggression, rock and roll swagger, and power pop hooks. While there are many bands who attempt to play this style, very few do it as well. It’s no wonder that they also opened for The Zeros (see my review HERE) at the same club a few months back.