If you walked into Upstate Concert Hall on December 11th, you would have found something special. Love was in the air that night, love from the fans, love from Ra Ra Riot and songs from Beta Love, the band’s new album coming out January 22nd.
Syracuse natives, Ra Ra Riot, were a few hours from home when they visited the Capital region on December 11th and friends were there to greet them. Dedicated followers traveled in from Syracuse, Massachusetts and Vermont to catch the upstate band that is in the early stages of a tour that will take them around the U.S. and Canada in support of their new album. The setlist was comprised of a solid mix of familiar songs from their past releases and band new tracks from Beta Love. The audience sang along to the majority of the songs, even the new releases. While most spent their time singing and dancing with each other in front of the state, one concert goer was playing with a lighted square spinning frantically on a rope. Mixed with the live music, it added a magical mood in his little corner of the world.
The band known for their unique indie rock opened with “Too Too Too Fast” with Wes Miles’ charismatic style gearing up the audience for the rest of the show. “Too Too Too Fast” was full of energy and the audience shook loose any cobwebs they might have gotten standing around after opening band Guards finished their powerful set. The set kept moving as Rebecca Zeller moved over to violin for “St. Peter’s Day Festival”. While dedicated Ra Ra Riot fans miss the irreplaceable cellist Alexandra Lawn, who decided to depart the band earlier this year for a different direction, the band filled in with another cellist that kept pace throughout the set; the only significant difference was the lack of stage presence the cellist had hidden away in the far right corner. Bassist Mat Santos and guitarist Milo Bonacci danced along with Wes and Rebecca around the stage keeping the crowd going through the long set that featured seven titles from the upcoming release.
Set List >> Too Too Too Fast, St. Peter’s Day Festival, Angel Please*, Shadowcasting, Oh La, When I Dream*, Binary Mind*, Can You Tell, Too Dramatic, Dance with Me*, For Once*, Run My Mouth, Beta Love*, Ghost
Encore>> I Shut Off*, Boy
* notes songs off the new release, Beta Love
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