As a fellow Syracuse University alum with some connections to the band, I may be a little biased in the matter, but, listen, there's a lot to like about the SU-spawned Ra Ra Riot, whose endearing chamber pop thrust the band out of the college basement circuit and into the indie mainstream in 2008, right on the heels of its full-length debut, The Rhumb Line.
Even after losing its drummer, John Pike (a former classmate of mine), to a drowning in 2007, the band soldiered on, earning critical acclaim with that first full-length and going on to tour the country with the likes of Editors and Tokyo Police Club before becoming headliners on their own. Now, after Wes Miles took a bit of a dalliance from Ra Ra Riot to partner up with Vampire Weekend's Rostam Batmanglij (bandmate of Miles' childhood friend, Ezra Koenig) to form Discovery and release LP in 2009, Ra Ra Riot's back on that headlining path, touring the country in support of its second full-length, called The Orchard. It's a bit of a departure from the band's earlier efforts, less in the band's indie-pop wheelhouse and more aligned with its members' classical musical training, but it still highlights Miles' falsetto and his bandmates' talents capably.
As such, tomorrow night, when this show stops by the Granada Theater, with like-minded indie poppers GIVERS and the Villagers in tow, fans can expect an intricately musical affair, to be sure. And, thanks to the fine folks at the Granada, a few lucky DC9 readers can get into this show for free, too.
Want the free passes? Hit the jump and find out how to win them.
Just be among the first two people to email me, starting right now, with the words "Ra Ra Sis Boom Bah" in the subject line, and you'll win a free pair of tickets. Good luck!
Update: Contest is over. Congrats to our winners!
