Ra Ra Riot @ The Rock Shop - March 19, 2012
Re Re Review: Geanna B.
It is an accepted universal truth that Mondays are kind of lame. In fact, science has taught us that sluggishness and despair are often brought on by Mondays, hence the scholarly term, “case of the Mondays”. But sometimes, when Mercury is in retrograde and the stars are all aligned and stuff, Mondays can be pretty effing sweet. Case in point:
Yesterday, in a frenzy of excitement, we told ya’ll that Ra Ra Riot would be playing a last minute, not-so-secret show at The Rock Shop. Since tickets were only available at the door, we left human sized holes in the walls of our office buildings as we raced out of work and down to the streets of Brooklyn! We waited in line. We drank vodka. We were regaled by a really loud car alarm. Finally, just after 8 pm, we got inside.
After Damien chatted up lead singer Wes Miles outside of the men’s bathroom, and I told Mariel that bassist Mathieu Santos was the spitting image of Where’s Waldo (in the most charming way possible!), the lights went down and the show began. Playing a smattering of new songs sprinkled in with bits of full-length album goodness, the band’s sound filled the tiny venue with palpable, constant energy. In between songs, Miles joked that they’d never played a show with so many new tunes, or a show that consisted of just them. “You guys know who you’re here to see,” he said with a smile, as the entire room exploded with cheers.
After Damien chatted up lead singer Wes Miles outside of the men’s bathroom, and I told Mariel that bassist Mathieu Santos was the spitting image of Where’s Waldo (in the most charming way possible!), the lights went down and the show began. Playing a smattering of new songs sprinkled in with bits of full-length album goodness, the band’s sound filled the tiny venue with palpable, constant energy. In between songs, Miles joked that they’d never played a show with so many new tunes, or a show that consisted of just them. “You guys know who you’re here to see,” he said with a smile, as the entire room exploded with cheers.
For a $10 donation to the Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls, this show was a serious steal. If I haven’t made it clear, I REALLY like music I can dance to. Whether that means actual dancing or jumping around with my arms flailing around in the air, I am happy just being in a place where the sound is big and I can shake ma’bootie from side to side. The upbeat liveliness of a Ra Ra Riot’s live performance gives me exactly that, with the added bonus of string instruments and a crowd that’s on the same page. The coziness of The Rock Shop only added to the joy – if I’m jumping up and down with my hands in the air, I want people to be doing that shit with me, yo! Who went crazy during “Too Too Too Fast” and dropped her jacket on the ground 15 times? This girl. And I did the same thing when they broke into their latest single, “Too Dramatic”, from 2010’s The Orchard.
As the band takes off to spend time in the studio, they've left me primed and ready for more. Based on what we heard last night, their new album will be just as catchy and rockin' as the others.
Check out the sometimes cryptic setlist and try to spot Santos in the photo below!
Ra Ra Riot @ The Rock Shop Setlist (3/19/2012)
MWAC
H W I ?No
TTT Fast
4 ONCE
That Much
Oh, La
This Body
Too Dramatic
Shadowcasting
L A I F
ST P
I Shut Off
Boy
Haha that car alarm fucking sucked! But it was all good from there on out.
ReplyDeleteNice read.