Ra Ra Riot Wraps Up BSP Kingston, NY Mini Tour (SHOW REVIEW/PHOTOS)

Indie/pop band Ra Ra Riot from Syracuse, NY wrapped up a five-date mini-tour of small clubs at BSP Kingston.  The band’s first tour in two years finished in the art-gallery-style front performance space of the old uptown Kingston Theater. Dedicated fans of the group, some traveling to all five northeast performances, were staking their spots in front of the stage the moment the doors opened.

An eager Diet Cig, the local two-piece pop punk band, from the nearby college town of New Paltz opened the show, entering the stage a few minutes before the scheduled start time. When guitarist/vocalist Alex Luciano’s subtle strumming of her guitar to signal the house music to cut off went unanswered she cranked out a few loud distorted power chords that seemed to do the trick. The band’s lo-fi garage band sound was enhanced by the duo’s unbridled enthusiasm. Noah Bowman’s thunderous drumming paired well with Luciano’s staccato guitar, brash vocals and dynamic stage antics.

Ra Ra Riot began their set with “Too Dramatic”, from the group’s second album, The Orchard, which could have been just another forgettable pop song if not for the band’s fine musicianship. Bassist Mathieu Santos and drummer Kenny Bernard offered much more than a catchy beat. Guitarist Milo Bonacci, violinist Rebecca Zeller, and cellist Emily Brausa provided swirling textures that sounded tremendous with singer Wes Miles’ crisp vocals.

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Two more familiar Ra Ra Riot songs, “St. Peter’s Day Festival”, from the group’s first LP, The Rhumb Line, and “Binary Mind” from their lasted album, 2013’s Beta Love, preceded the first of three new songs the band featured on this tour, “Bad Times”, that seemed to enthrall the crowd of the nearly full venue. The band kept the energy level high with “Oh La” that had bouncy back-up vocals and “Dance with Me”, which provided the crowd the opportunity to do just that. The second new song the band played was “Water” and was a highlight of the set with intricate rhythm and stirring strings.

The thrasher pop punk band, Diet Cig, who list their genre on their Face Book Page as slop punk, and the intricacies of the chamber pop group Ra Ra Riot made for an interesting show. With the appearance of new songs, the Ra Ra Riot fans in attendance left hopeful for a new album and more shows from the upstate New York artists.

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