Ra Ra Riot Sings in the Rain

© Steve Mitchell / RumBum.com

Ra Ra Riot at All Points West

Despite being young, Ra Ra Riot is a band that comes with a history. Formed in 2006, the group began playing gigs around Syracuse before making an appearance at CMJ a mere six months after their formation. They went on to receive a bunch of coverage and positive reviews before beginning to tour and hitting the festival circuit. Then one night, after a show in Providence, John Ryan Pike (the bands original drummer), went missing. The next day his body was found, and his death was declared a drowning. The band continued to perform after this tragedy, and often dedicate songs to their lost member, crediting his lyrics and honoring his contribution to the group.

Perhaps this sad beginning is what lends an air of melancholy to some of Ra Ra Riot's earnest and heartfelt music. It is not sad, in fact it is mostly upbeat, but there is a touch of this haunting sound that stays with you. The band produces an unusual strain of indie rock, and the most captivating notes are those that emit from the cello and violin. As a whole the vocalist Wes Miles, bassist Mathieu Santos, guitarist Milo Bonacci, cellist Alexandra Lawn, violinist Rebecca Zeller, and drummer Gabriel Duquette all work well together, dancing and bouncing with one another, feeding off each others energy. But it is the ladies on strings, Lawn and Zeller, that really give the band its unusual edge.

Lawn's cello is an amazing piece, built to be hollow and lightweight so she can dance and move freely with this large instrument. Songs like 'Ghost Under Rocks' and 'Oh, La' are the perfect vessels to carry the cello's romantic and beautiful tones. Miles, the lead singer is a genuine sweetheart, the young looking type that you want to just hug. He seemed thoroughly grateful that we were there and kept commenting on how beautiful the ominous looking sky was (as opposed to how ugly and anger-inducing we were all finding it) - a good example of how Ra Ra Riot portrays the world in their songs. His voice is clear and innocent-sounding (think Death Cab For Cutie vocals) and goes along perfectly with the music.

It was pouring during the set and you could see that the band was getting wet, which must have been an added obstacle. Since it was a little early in the storm lots of people were still attempting to keep dry at the beer tents (a fight they would soon realize was fruitless and just give in to the wetness) so the crowd was not as big as it might have been, and certainly not as happy. But Ra Ra Riot played their set with spirit, and won over most of the audience while also attracting more onlookers as time progressed. There were also a few sound issues since the rain was coming harder and faster than had been anticipated, but those seemed to work themselves out after a few minutes.

Although they sounded great and played a good set Ra Ra Riot may be a better band to see in a small enclosed space so that you can get the full effect of their unusually captivating sound. It seemed as if the large open space did them a disservice; the beauty and sweetness of their music got swallowed up by the competing noise at All Points West.