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David Garza, namesake of his now four-person band, Dah-veed, has been in the process of taking on a new style of rock that involves a step, albeit a baby step, in the ever-growing direction of electronica.

Talking to Garza before his band's show at the Fabulous Satellite Lounge on Sept. 5, I found out that the inclusion of a keyboard and a new guitar player, Jacob Schultz, serves to "expand the sound a little bit." Expanding the sound, however, means not only adding instruments and members to the band, but also banishing acoustic instruments, including Garza's beloved acoustic guitar and bass player John Thomasson's classy double bass.

This change in sound and style, though not drastic, seems that way because Dah-veed's past is full of cheery light-hearted rock. This past style has brought the group a dedicated fan base which, judging from the audience's reactions (both here and in Austin), yearns for the days of yore.

At the Houston show, the worst problem came from the sound quality. The keyboard overwhelmed every part of the band, unnecessarily covering Garza's voice and hurting my ears with long screeches.

Garza himself acted most of the time as keyboardist, lead guitarist and vocalist, leaving me wondering why Schultz even bothered standing on stage.

Garza has had years to work on his guitar and vocal talents, but his keyboarding skills have yet to achieve the same level as those of Taylor Hanson of "MMM-Bop" fame.

Another problem arose from the somewhat jilted set list. Dah-veed began its show with "I'd Rather Be Lost," a song usually played to close its shows, and then alternated between really old and new songs. The effect was confusing -- the audience didn't know whether to keep dancing or stand and listen.

This problem remedied itself, however, as the night wore on.

The limited amount of new material mainly extinguished itself after the first hour, and the band started to relax and have fun with its show while getting into the groove.

The new songs, which include "Too Much," "Floataway" and "Disco Ball World," pounded with heavy guitar and keyboard forcing the band to focus less on perfomance and more on techincal proficiency. With the older songs, however, such as "One Drop," "Butterflies" and "Silawe," the guys altered the style only slightly and focused fully on entertaining the crowd.

If the technical aspect of the show was the low point, the band's attitude was the high point -- the members, Garza, Thomasson, Shultz and drummer Michael Hale, had a playful camaraderie that translated into great stage presence and a connection with the audience that all local bands strive to accomplish.

"It felt like a good time to come on tour, to thank our fans for their support," Garza explained when I asked him about touring after the long summer recess.

His fans are definitely appreciative of the band's shows, although fans now may be slightly confused as to what to make of the new Dah-veed.

In any case, the four guys are definitely on the road to success -- they signed with Atlantic Records last year and have an EP, The Four-Track Manifesto , due in October, as well as a full album due in January.

On top of all that, their single "Slave" will be on the soundtrack for Great Expectations , which stars Gywneth Paltrow and Robert DeNiro.

Expect Dah-veed back in Houston soon, perhaps in late October, and this time, it plans on including a DJ, another step towards the band's electronic revolution.

Overall, the changes in Dah-veed's style generate ambivalence in its listeners, not extremes of positive or negative emotion. Still, Garza and his buddies know how to capture an audience and let it know that they care.

This item appeared in the Arts & Entertainment section of the September 19, 1997 issue.