Ra Ra Riot, Tokyo Police Club leave fans in rapture
They emerged from the depths of the Valley Thursday evening, an underground population of indie rock music fans.
Clad in plaid shirts, black-rimmed glasses and ironic, vintage t-shirts - more than 500 people packed Cine El Rey for Tokyo Police Club and Ra Ra Riot. Both groups have received critical acclaim from hip music media outlets ranging from Pitchfork Media to Spin Magazine. And their sounds seem more at home in a place like Austin than McAllen, with a packed room of college students.
"This is the farthest south we've ever been," Ra Ra Riot lead singer Wes Miles told the crowd during his band's set.
And McAllen responded with a powerful cheer. The show marked one of the first times this type of music came to the Rio Grande Valley, and the fans were starving for it.
- CHECK OUT AN EXCLUSIVE PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE SHOW!
Ra Ra Riot plays melodic, sweeping dance rock, powered by a violinist and cello player. Their studio album, The Rhumb Line, has received much praise from magazines and music bloggers. The band has accessible, pop undertones of the same nature as Arcade Fire.
And they brought the same energy to the stage. This Syracuse band seems poised to explode in the same way Arcade Fire has - propelled by progressive music and impassioned live shows. Ra Ra Riot also seemed to enjoy every moment of its set in McAllen.
Miles marveled at Cine El Rey's atmosphere between songs. And the rest of the band seemed to feed off the crowd, who cheered when the first notes of each new song hit. These fans knew the music, singing along and dancing.
Ra Ra Riot, which hasn't been around as long as Tokyo Police Club, played second to last. But their show smacked of head liner quality. Tokyo Police Club, however, was no slouch.
Ra Ra Riot's set sounded like a mellow, haunting jaunt through personal thoughts. Tokyo Police Club played its songs in frantic, energy-laced bursts. The band's music, heavy on guitar and synth, powered through the show. At one point, short-lived moshing and crowd surfing broke out up front, even though this type of indie rock doesn't lend itself to that.
"We didn't know what to expect," Tokyo Police Club lead singer Dave Monks told the crowd, "but it really beats Houston."
The crowd erupted again.
During the encore, all the visiting bands took the stage, playing a jam-style rendition of the Clash's "Train in Vain." As more than a dozen musicians jammed out to that classic song, Valley music fans danced and sang along.
It was an incredible sight, encouraging for indie music fans across the Valley. And it could lead to more of these types of shows, regularly drawing out the underground hipster population. Thursday evening marked an excellent concert, and, possibly, the birth of a scene.
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Zack Quaintance covers features and entertainment for Festiva. You can reach him at (956) 683-4447.
