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Ra Ra Riot and the Dust Devil gets on his soapbox

April 9th, 2008 Posted by: Dust Devil

Hello everybody,

I apologize, I really did mean to post a review of the show from Sunday night right away, but as always I get easily sidetracked. I will make the effort to be more timely about things, but rest assured, ANY show I go to there will be a review.

What a show!!! For the “whopping” 30 or so of you that showed up, you were lucky enough to see a great band put on a great show. Hailing out of a Syracuse, NY, Ra Ra Riot tore into a set mixing songs from their self-titled EP released last year and some new ones. I usually am able to compare a band to others to give people an idea of the sound, but this band is so original I still have not been able to do it! Trust me, you are in for a unique treat when you see a band that plays indie rock with your basic guitar, bass and drums mixed with a cello and a violin. Vocalist Wes Miles is an engaging frontman and the band seemed genuinely appreciative of the reception they received.

I had an opportunity to talk with a few of the band members after the show. Very cool people; we talked about their performance at the Monolith Festival at Red Rocks last year. Please, please support this great band if they roll through your town!!!

That brings me to my next point; the severe lack of attendance at concerts like this here in the Valley of the Sun. If you are in a band that plays country, emo, hip hop, “safe” punk rock … there is a market here. Unfortunately for those bands that are unique, eclectic, not at all mainstream, things can be tough.

I am making two trips to Colorado in the next month. April 19 Ghostland Observatory is playing at the Fox Theater in Boulder, then I return a couple of weekends later to see Elbow at the Bluebird Theater May 2, and the next evening, May 3, the Mobius Band at the Larimer Lounge, both shows in Denver.

Three amazing bands with two of them performing back-to-back nights! I was introduced to the Ghostland Observatory experience last year at the Monolith Festival. As many concerts as I have been to over the years, it is rare I am in awe when I see a band for the first time. However, this duo did just that. The power that these two guys can produce live is astonishing and singer/guitarist/dancer Aaron Behrens is quite simply one of the BEST frontmen I have ever seen. I couldn’t help but think of a cross between Mick Jagger and James Brown watching this guy own the crowd.

Elbow releases their fourth disc here in the U.S. on April 22 and I am really looking forward to this show, having never had the pleasure of seeing them before. Elbow is a beautiful, innovative band out of England that plays a special style of dreampop music.

Remember this name. Robert Lerma. Robert has played drums in many a band in the Phoenix area for over twenty years. If I tell you he recommended a band to me and they are not in your record collection, jump in your car and get over to your favorite independent music store now. Elbow and the Mobius Band are two such artists. Robert’s name will come up occasionally during these music posts, so remember the name.

The Mobius Band is another band I saw at the Monolith Festival last year. This band combines solid harmonies with pop hooks galore and delicately mixes in their brand of electronica with solid guitar work. Another great three-piece, the band put on a great show when I last saw them last year.

How lucky am I with those two bands playing back to back nights? But here is the problem; why should I have travel to see great music when I live in one of the largest cities in the country?

Come on people, it is not easy for these bands that are not mainstream artists to tour. They need us to show up and support them. I have been whining for a long time about great bands that bypass Phoenix and as I am getting older, I am realizing I just need to take the bull by the horns and make the trip to see them.

The definition of apathy is “lack of interest in or concern for things that others find moving or exciting”. Let’s not allow that to penetrate the music scene here. You like a band, buy their music and go see them live. Live is almost always better anyways!

Thanks for dealing with the diatribe, later in the week there will be some new shows to talk about!

The Dust Devil

Ra Ra Riot’s self-titled EP http://www.rarariot.com/store.php
Check out any of the aforementioned bands concert schedule! http://www.pollstar.com/

Filed under: My Take, Event Reviews