Ra Ra Riot [Barsuk Records]: Official | Tumblr | FacebookPhoto: Colossal Productions
From the moment Ra Ra Riot took the stage in old town Pasadena I could feel their energy. Maybe it was their radiant colorful outfits. Maybe it was their young hearts ready to rock all in attendance at the Make Music Pasadena Festival. Whatever it was, I could tell that fun was on their agenda and I was in for a treat. Anxiety began to fill me as they checked their equipment and tuned their instruments. As I prepared myself to soak in both the rays of the setting sun and the sound waves of the musical fun, I noticed many different faces from people of all ages squeezing their way towards the stage to catch Ra Ra Riot front and center. It appeared as if a variety of music lovers with a common goal gathered in the streets of Pasadena. This goal was to enjoy great music!
It has been a little over a year since my first encounter with the sounds of Ra Ra Riot at Coachella and I haven't really enjoyed their music since then, (no) thanks to the person who stole the iPod out of my bag inside my tent. The opportunity to see Ra Ra Riot at a free music festival as the Sun set was the best way to dive back into their music.
Photo: William CamargoRa Ra Riot started their set off with "Too Too Too Fast." Some minor technical difficulties forced singer Wes was to restart the song but not even a small glitch could keep these New Yorkers from electrifying the closed-off street. Despite the rough start, the band proceeded to unleash heavy amounts of musical fun with songs from their arsenal including Shadowcasting, Oh, La, and Do You Remember? As their frequencies resonated throughout Colorado Blvd. and beyond, the crowd continued to smile and dance to the beat. "Run My Mouth" never sounded so good as Mathieu slid his way around his golden bass. Goosebumps covered my skin and a warm feeling filled my body as I heard the harmonies between Wes and Allie on the chorus of "Foolish." The enormous amount of talent and creativity we know as Ra Ra Riot shined on each music-hungry and sweaty person while the Sun shed its last rays of light on its descent.
I could not believe how great things were sounding. I could not believe how this music was making me feel. Swells of strings during "Can You Tell?" made me smile from ear to ear. Hearing Rebecca and Allie gracefully play each note and carry the songs beautifully with their respective instruments makes me wish they were the ones behind the strings on all of my ideas. At this point I thought this experience could not possibly get any better. That's when RRR hit the crowd with "Boy" and "Too Dramatic," two upbeat and irresistibly catchy tunes off of their latest release, The Orchard. It felt as if each beat of the drum gave me and everyone in the crowd a new burst of energy. Swinging bass lines and guitar hooks from Milo kept everyone on their feet dancing. To top off an ultra fun set, the band returned to The Rhumb Line for two favorites: Ghosts Under Rocks and Dying is Fine. The fans gave it their all as Ra Ra Riot played every last note with perfection.
Complete with a world of strings and a variety of percussion, Ra Ra Riot's unique and organic sounds were refreshing and left me wanting more. Their set was filled with nothing but energetic fun. From Rebecca's sparkly custom violin to Allie's signature moves and dank hairdo, each member effortlessly brought their own style and pizzazz. Each dancy groove, clever riff, and catchy melody heard has been stuck in my head ever since. They brought good vibrations to the festival that were visible through the smiles on everyone's faces. Another great musical experience in the books and another inspiring performance to get my creative juices flowing. Ra Ra Riot and Make Music Pasadena succeeded in giving all supporters some good summer fun.
I anticipate Ra Ra Riot's return to the west coast so I can attend a couple of shows and tell a million friends about them. They are easily one of my favorite bands right now and will be in my CD player for a very long time. Although both festival atmosphere experience's were fun, I can't wait to see them in an intimate setting with a headlining set! Thank you to everyone who made this experience possible, and thank you to the fans for their photos and videos of the event!
Catch Ra Ra Riot in your town!Thu-Jun-23 Ballston Spa, NY WEQX Presents Concerts in the Park @ Wiswall Park FREE
Sun-Jul-17 Ottawa, ON Ottawa Bluesfest
Fri-Jul-22 Seattle, WA Capitol Hill Block Party
Sun-Jul-24 Philadelphia, PA XPoNential Fest @ Wiggins Park
Sat-Jul-30 Niigata, JP Fuji Rock Festival
Tue-Aug-2 Hyannis, MA Cape Cod Melody Tent ^
Wed-Aug-3 Danbury, CT Ives Concert Park ^
Thu-Aug-4 Newport, RI Newport Sunset Series ^
Fri-Aug-5 Brooklyn, NY Celebrate Brooklyn @ Prospect Park Bandshell FREE %http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Sat-Aug-6 Portland, ME Concerts on the Waterfront at Ocean Gateway ^
Sun-Aug-7 Baltimore, MD Pier Six ^
Tue-Aug-9 Asbury Park, NJ Stone Pony ^
Thu-Aug-11 Philadelphia, PA Festival Pier ^
Fri-Aug-12 Boston, MA Bank of America Pavilion ^
Sat-Aug-13 Canandaigua, NY CMAC ^
Sun-Aug-14 East Hampton, NY Music To Know Festival
Fri-Oct-14 Pensacola, FL DeLuna Fest
% w/ Delicate Steve and Buke & Gass
^ w/ Guster
more info on Ra Ra Riot's sleek and flashy website, http://rarariot.com
peace and love
[e]ccentric
Nice concert review and very interesting to read.
ReplyDelete