Ra Ra Riot‘s talent triumphs

July 5, 2009

Ra Ra Riot’s Talent Triumphs
By Kristi Kates 7/6/09

It’s been a long, uneven road for quirky Syracuse, NY band Ra Ra Riot. While their entry into the music biz was a fortunate one -- they were snagged to appear at the CMJ Music Marathon in 2006 a mere half-year after they started their band, leading SPIN magazine to call them “one of the best bands we’ve heard in a really long time” -- things would be very different a year later.

SAD ADVERSITY
After a show in Providence, Rhode Island, the band’s original drummer, John Pike, went missing. Pike is believed to have drowned in nearby Buzzards Bay.
It takes a lot for a band to move forward after something like that happens; but while Pike is not forgotten, the band has pushed on in the interest of their distinctive music. After a respectful waiting period, they signed to major label V2 in the winter of 2007, changed labels in 2008 to Barsuk Records, and released their debut full-length album, The Rhumb Line, that same year. That led to a new set with tours alongside the likes of Los Campesinos! and Vampire Weekend.
Now, Ra Ra Riot have just wrapped up a tour with fellow indie-rockers Death Cab for Cutie and Cold War Kids, and after a short break, they’ll be bringing their brand of indie-rock-meets-strings-meets-twee-pop to Interlochen in July.

GRATEFUL SUCCESS
“Touring with Death Cab and CWK, we were able to play some amazing venues with rich histories,” guitarist Milo Bonacci explains, “such as the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. It was very exciting and very humbling to be on the stage in some of those places.”
The current talented band includes Wesley Miles on vocals and keyboard, the aforementioned Bonacci on guitar, Mathieu Santos on bass, Alexandra Lawn on cello, and Rebecca Zeller on violin; Gabriel Duquette is also joining the band on tour to play drums. The big-stage, big-budget setup is a definite treat for the hard-working band, as is the chance to test out tracks from their new album in front of larger audiences.
“Oh La,” for instance, continues to be one of my favorite songs to play live,” Bonacci says, “we hadn’t ever played that song live before we recorded it, and I think in many ways it developed into something unexpected during the recording process.”

TUNEFUL PERFORMANCES
Fans showing up for the Interlochen show will be glad to hear that the band will be appearing in its regular incarnation - those new to the band will likely be surprised and intrigued by the pop songs as accompanied by live strings and singer Miles’ unique energy on stage.
“Yeah, the Interlochen show will be more or less a regular show with a full band setup, and we’ll be playing songs from The Rhumb Line,” Bonacci confirms, “it will be the first of a string of summer shows. After more than a month off, I’m sure it’s going to be extremely satisfying to get back on stage. We’re excited to be playing in Interlochen.”

Ra Ra Riot will perform at Interlochen on Wednesday, July 8 at 8 p.m. in Corson Auditorium; for tix and more info, visit
www.interlochen.org.