photographer: arielle gutierrez

Following a sold-out show in the very same venue just mere months ago and running hot on the back of a highly accessible new digitized sound that has found them a new audience, Ra Ra Riot championed a return to Houston that was equal parts stunning musicianship, a dizzying light show, and a party-time atmosphere punctuated by an impromptu balloon drop from the home crowd. Hit the jump for the full review.

– sunbear

photographer: arielle gutierrez

Not shying away from their revamped techno pop sound in the least, the former baroque pop sextet from Syracuse were warmly embraced by Houston’s Fitzgerald’s crowd, who ate up every stab of icy-cool synth and drum-triggered sample. Songs like “Beta Love” and “Binary Mind” shook the two-story venue up, causing a throng of bouncing that spilled more than its share of beers.

Though there may have been a clear divide between fans of Ra Ra Riot yore, who were greatly outnumbered singing along to past staples like “Can You Tell” and “Too Dramatic,” and the latecomers whose boundless vigor matched that boppy frontman Wes Miles and proved a formidable argument for more drum-samples and deep-ended bass, both parties carried the same torch for the band, who fed into every bit of energy and gave back tenfold.

When the red balloons that festooned the venue (and really, what other band takes the time to decorate a venue for their guests?) were pulled down and swatted above the heads of all in attendance, Miles took a moment to proudly declare that spontaneous moments like those were the reason he and his band exist and would continue to make music, in whatever form they move onto next. These are the feels, kiddos – Word ‘em up!

photographer: arielle gutierrez

Caveman, who stunned a weathered crowd at an earlier in-store performance at Houston’s legendary Cactus Music, left a massive opening-band impression on the crowd, the majority of which were mostly unfamiliar with the expansively atmospheric New York band. The intertwining Brian Wilson-esque melodies of “Shut You Down” from the band’s stunning sophomore self-titled found its groove with the early set, where the dreamy CoCo Beware gem “Old Friend” welcomed in the larger audience who were undoubtedly drawn to the band’s autumnal prettiness.

Frontman Matthew Iwanusa bantered back and forth with the affable crowd, responding sheepishly with a timid “thanks” when “you smell good!” was shouted out. The awe-shucks attitude stood in contrast to the band’s lush sound which really stretched its legs and gave an atmospheric breather to the Houston air, grey with the threat of an oncoming hurricane. Weather be damned, Caveman did their thing and made all the more fans for it.