2008 Woodie Awards
Ra Ra Riot rebounds
Brian Wood, Collegian Staff
Issue date: 12/4/08 Section: Arts & Living
A lot can change in a year. Just ask Ra Ra Riot.
When the Syracuse, N.Y. sextet last performed at Northampton's Iron Horse Music Hall in February, they did so with the heaviest of hearts and a cloud of uncertainty surrounding them. In just two short years, the band that begin innocently enough as friends at Syracuse University has dealt with more critical expectations and tragic occurrences than most bands - no matter how experienced - could handle.
2007 proved to be a profoundly transitional year for the band. Following the widespread release of their first album, a six-song EP, and supporting tours with Tokyo Police Club and Art Brut, the band was rocked by the sudden and tragic death of drummer and founding member John Pike.
Following a July performance in Providence, Pike disappeared from a house party in Fairhaven. The next day Pike's body was discovered in nearby Buzzard's Bay.
As quickly as the band had arrived, their once promising future came to a crashing halt. After taking time off to recover in the wake of tragedy, the band announced they would continue on as a band, ending constant speculation about their future.
When they recruited Cameron Wisch to join the band on drums, the band played a few benefits for the newly formed and dedicated John Ryan Pike Memorial Foundation and embarked on their first headlining tour of 2008. This tour included the aforementioned stop at the Iron Horse in February.
Now, some 10 months later, the band is returning charged with the momentum of a newly released album, a slew of well-received festival performances and an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman.
No longer is the band's survival without Pike in question. The only question that remains is how far Ra Ra Riot will go in their present state.
If initial impressions count for anything, the band has a promising future.
Ra Ra Riot's debut full length, "The Rhumb Line," shows marked progression. The album is comprised of a handful of older selections from their EP, a number of new ones and a cover of Kate Bush's "Suspended in Gaffa."
When the Syracuse, N.Y. sextet last performed at Northampton's Iron Horse Music Hall in February, they did so with the heaviest of hearts and a cloud of uncertainty surrounding them. In just two short years, the band that begin innocently enough as friends at Syracuse University has dealt with more critical expectations and tragic occurrences than most bands - no matter how experienced - could handle.
2007 proved to be a profoundly transitional year for the band. Following the widespread release of their first album, a six-song EP, and supporting tours with Tokyo Police Club and Art Brut, the band was rocked by the sudden and tragic death of drummer and founding member John Pike.
Following a July performance in Providence, Pike disappeared from a house party in Fairhaven. The next day Pike's body was discovered in nearby Buzzard's Bay.
As quickly as the band had arrived, their once promising future came to a crashing halt. After taking time off to recover in the wake of tragedy, the band announced they would continue on as a band, ending constant speculation about their future.
When they recruited Cameron Wisch to join the band on drums, the band played a few benefits for the newly formed and dedicated John Ryan Pike Memorial Foundation and embarked on their first headlining tour of 2008. This tour included the aforementioned stop at the Iron Horse in February.
Now, some 10 months later, the band is returning charged with the momentum of a newly released album, a slew of well-received festival performances and an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman.
No longer is the band's survival without Pike in question. The only question that remains is how far Ra Ra Riot will go in their present state.
If initial impressions count for anything, the band has a promising future.
Ra Ra Riot's debut full length, "The Rhumb Line," shows marked progression. The album is comprised of a handful of older selections from their EP, a number of new ones and a cover of Kate Bush's "Suspended in Gaffa."
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