Concert Review

Malajube, Ra Ra Riot, Snowden at the Merc/Southpaw, NYC

Words by Kate Schruth

Photos by Abbey Braden

So the morning of this show I was sitting at the train station in my dad’s car listening to the Moody Blues (yeah I know). He was talking all about a time when practically every band on the radio played with an orchestra. I was totally seven again, but that’s not the point. We got to wondering about where all the strings went. Yeah, Arcade Fire, but who else really?

Ra Ra Riot, that’s who. These kids from ‘cuse just celebrated their first birthday as a band and they’re rocking it proper in the city this week. I’ve seen them twice in three days – which is weird. They started off Monday night in quite a fashion, replete with excitement, bravado and lest we forget – ample cowbell. Ra Ra has all sorts of fun stuff going on. Two pretty girls playing cello and violin, they do synchronized plucking! Also a song called “Anthony” with breaks where the band does dialogue and a “Baba O’Reilly”-esque ending. I’m a total sucker for fun pretty pop but this seemed more, it was a full and rich sound. Id say they’re doing quite well for just a year behind them, look out up ahead.

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