Ra Ra Riot
January 25th, 2013 // Webster Hall // New York, NY. (Opening Band; Guards)
Words and Photos by Samantha San Roman
As my first real assignment as a photographer for Highlight, and my first time seeing Ra Ra Riot, you can imagine my excitement as I headed into Webster Hall the night of the show. This was their first show after releasing their new album Beta Love which dropped on January 22nd, as well as one of the first shows on their tour. A Friday night in New York City couldn’t have looked better from their point of view with a sold out show full of people there to see them. They had only one opening band, Guards, who killed it live as well playing songs from their self-titled EP (2012) and their upcoming record, due out on 2/5/13 in the US called In Guards We Trust. This band, while new to the music scene, couldn’t have been a more perfect fit with Ra Ra Riot’s indie rock sound.
Ra Ra Riot opened with their single “Boy” off of their 2010 record The Orchard pumping up the crowd with a high energy. They continued playing other hits from this record as well as their 2008 record The Rhumb Line and introducing a few new songs from Beta Love as well, such as “Dance With Me” and “Binary Mind”. Since the album dropped a few days before the show, I was able to get myself familiar with it. While it sounds a little more pop then their older music, they embrace it with their own style. I was impressed with how well every member was able to recreate the same aesthetic as the album, staying completely on key while still rocking it live. They continued this throughout their set, proving their stature as talented musicians.
They were a great band to see live, as well as their opening band, so I encourage everyone to go check out them out while their on tour! They will be hitting many more venues throughout the next coming months, so check out their website for tour dates near you. If you can’t get out to see them, you should at least check out their new album Beta Love, I promise you won’t be disappointed!
Guards
Ra Ra Riot
