Ra Ra Riot goes through the motions in Brooklyn

October 17, 2008, at Music Hall of Williamsburg

By Lissette Aguilar
Published: October 20th, 2008 | 11:25am

Since releasing its debut full-length The Rhumb Line (Barsuk) to rave reviews two months ago, Ra Ra Riot definitely plans to strike while the iron’s hot with its seemingly endless touring. The young band performed its sold-out, second-to-last North American show at Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg October 17 before heading across the pond for a brief European tour. And if you missed the Syracuse, New York band Stateside this time, fret not, because Ra Ra Riot just announced the second leg of its North American tour to round out the year.

However, while marathon-like periods of touring may keep its growing fanbase happy, it appears to have taken a toll on band members, vocalist Wesley Miles, guitarist Milo Bonacci, cellist Alexandra Lawn, violinist Rebecca Zeller, and bassist Mathieu Santos. And so, while Ra Ra Riot is notorious for its energetic live shows, the band’s minimum audience interaction and lack of overall vitality suggests that the band was simply going through the motions during Friday night’s show.

Fortunately, while the band’s stage presence left much to be desired, the quintet’s infectious blend of upbeat melodies and catchy lyrics redeemed the show. While the comparisons to heavy-hitters Arcade Fire run rampant, Ra Ra Riot defines a category of its own: danceable, beautifully orchestrated, smart, pop-infused indie rock. And concertgoers were completely captivated by the band’s arresting music as they found themselves singing along enthusiastically with Miles, whose haunting vocals recall a less morose Robert Smith during “Oh, La,” and its cover of Kate Bush’s “Suspended in Gaffa” from The Rhumb Line.

The band managed to sneak in two older songs (“A Manner to Act” and “Everest”) from its 2007 self-titled EP (The Rebel Group) into the 50-minute set of songs mainly from its LP. It also treated the audience to a new song: “It’s kind of like a slow jam, so grab your partner,” Miles said as he sang the final ballad of the night. The band then segued into the final songs, crowd favorites including the first single off The Rhumb Line, “Ghost Under Rocks,” and the e.e. cummings–inspired “Dying is Fine.” But before the crowd could disperse into the streets of the chilly night, the band appeased its fans’ chants for more music with two single-song encores. The band thanked its fans once more before giddily exiting the stage — here’s to hoping that spark doesn’t burn out anytime soon.