Kristopher Roe at the Studio at Webster Hall

Kristopher Roe began his music career in 1995 by writing and recording demos of original songs on a four-track in his bedroom in Anderson, Indiana. The first lineup of the Ataris was formed quickly thereafter, but when Roe relocated in 1997 to Santa Barbara, California, the band's lineup began changing rapidly and often. Roe has been the only constant member of the punk rock band, but the Ataris brand has released five studio albums, with 2003's So Long, Astoria certified gold. The most recent album is 2007's Welcome the Night.

Kristopher Roe headlined a solo acoustic show at the Studio at Webster Hall tonight. Clues were evident that this would be a trip back to the 1990s, when the Ataris were most popular. As Roe walked on stage and was setting up for his set, he sang along with the Built to Spill track played by the disc jockey. Roe also wore a My Bloody Valentine t-shirt. Strapping on an acoustic guitar upside down, Roe strummed and sang many of the songs he wrote and recorded with the Ataris. He opened with a stripped down version of one of the Ataris' most popular songs, "In This Diary." He then sang "12/15/10," a lesser known song that appeared on a later Ataris EP, then returned to the title track of So Long, Astoria, and then a cover of the Replacements' "Can't Hardly Wait," which appeared on the Ataris' 2012 Live in Los Angeles album. This was how it went, a set mixing familiar and not-as-familiar songs. More importantly, this was a bare bones presentation, with minimal effects and all vocals in the forefront. It was not as exciting as an electric Ataris set, but it was a new way to appreciate these songs.