Monday, February 15, 2010

Concert Review: Hot and Sweaty with the Royal Bangs

Take a rowdy crowd of Terrace-goers, put them together in a small room with the Royal Bangs, and you have everything you need for a good time. The audience at last Saturday’s show was enthusiastic, to say the least, but that shouldn’t come as a surprise considering the band’s charisma.

In one of the best moments of the night, wild-eyed and energetic singer Ryan Schaefer yelled out into the crowd: “I want you to sweat as much as possible on the person next you!” He then added, “this area right here: get disgusting!” The Royal Bangs played like anyone and everyone’s favorite hometown garage band that night, as their music seemed to vibe perfectly with the hot, claustrophobic room and the steady rise and fall of the crowd.

The dancing simply escalated throughout the night, peaking somewhere around a fantastic live rendition of the song “War Bells.” Personally, I had never been so happy to recognize a tune in that moment, only this time the band’s own presence radiated in a manner that made this version better than I had ever heard it before.

Granted, the concert was essentially a drunken debacle, evidenced by a few sporadic and misguided chants by the audience in the middle of the set: “One more song!” And then, a few minutes later, “You guys are great! You need to do ten more songs!” Yet, that contagious, mob-like atmosphere in the face of exciting music was exactly what made the show fantastic. To me and to the rest of the audience that night, I think its safe to say that the night ended in a manner true to the band: a Royal Bang!

-Lisa Han ‘13

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