Call the Cops, This Band is Here to Start a Riot; A Ra Ra Riot.

Feb 15, 2012 by Sentinel

By Sully Thompson (a pseudonym)

On September 26th, Syracuse based indie band Ra Ra Riot together with Toronto born supporting act, alt pop rockers Dinosaur Bones, made some serious waves at Nelson’s Royal Live Music Venue, putting on one of the best shows for $10 I have ever seen. I can’t say enough about the bands, or the price; $10 to see Ra Ra Riot? Are you kidding me!? For those of you who don’t know either of these bands I highly suggest checking them out; you will not be disappointed.
First up was Dinosaur Bones. I had never heard of this band previously, and while they didn’t blow me away, they put on a solid show. It’s a very clean and clear sound this band has put together and while they aren’t reinventing the art form with their music, they have found a formula, it works, and they are sticking to it. The music was pretty straight forward, a lot of droning keyboards, looping drums and simple but catchy chord progressions. Not the most technical performance I’ve ever witnessed but enough to keep me interested. They kept their set short and sweet which I appreciated. I’ve seen so many bands play who just play for way too long and I end up remembering the group not for the music, but for not getting off the stage fast enough. Dinosaur Bones keep it simple. Check them out. After a brief interlude and equipment change over, the moment finally arrived. The band I had paid my precious $10 to see was about to hit the stage…
Let’s get to it shall we? Yes. Ra Ra Riot. I first saw this band just over a year ago. They opened up for Wintersleep and I can safely say, in my own humble opinion, that they solidified themselves as perhaps the greatest opening act I have ever seen. This band is here to blow your mind. I was so fully taken away by their performance I actually enjoyed them more than Wintersleep. Not to take anything away from WS, they put on a good show, but Ra Ra Riot put on something completely different. So naturally when I got the chance to see them again, as a headliner this time, I leapt at the opportunity.
There is one word to describe it. Captivating. That is the word I am going to use to describe this show. The place was almost near capacity on a Monday, and the atmosphere was electric. The Royal is billeted at a live music venue, but many of the acts I have seen there have been less than amazing, and a lot of it had to do with the sound. It’s not actually designed for live music. The fact that Ra Ra Riot sounded so crisp, so clear and so rock solid is a testament to the sheer musicality the band members individually and collectively possess. It was an engaging performance of eclectic, offbeat and yet still very much mainstream of hits like “Can You Tell” and “Dying is Fine” that kick started the night and kept it going.
The drummer played with metronome like precision and with thunderous power, lining up to form a steady, pulsating and melodic rhythm with the bass. This is the foundation of this bands music. The guitar however is one thing I have always found lacking. It’s in the background at the best of times on their CD’s and it gets completely drowned out in a live setting.
What really sets this band apart is their utilization of classical instruments. The band has both a cellist and a violinist and both play with the proficiency of professionally trained concert musicians. Without that aspect the band would be much less than what it is and when they finished off their set with perhaps the most well received song of the night “Boy”, this is clearly obvious.
The singer had a dynamic stage presence but again, like the guitar, due to the sheer volume of live music it was hard to make out what he was saying some of the time. My only beef with this band is that while the audience is having the time of their lives, the musicians themselves play with a stone faced intensity. They don’t look like they are having fun. They also don’t interact with the audience. They don’t joke with each other, share tales of the road, or even introduced the name of the next song they are going to play. In the end though, I can forgive them for that. It didn’t take much away from my overall enjoyment of the show because they just play so well. Have a look out for the next time this band rolls through, you won’t want to miss it.