Ra Ra Riot preview

Ra Ra Riot
Beat Kitchen, Chicago
Thursday, July 26, 2007

Ra Ra Riot supposedly hadn’t even practiced when they booked their first gig – an example of how rapidly things took off for the Syracuse chamber pop group. Barely more than a year after forming, Riot had all the hippest rock publications all but fist fighting over who heralded the band first – thanks to knock-’em-out performances at South By Southwest. All of this and the band hadn’t even released any music yet! Ra Ra Riot quickly learned how to handle popularity, acclaim, and hype. Now they learn to handle tragedy.

The blog entries on Ra Ra Riot’s MySpace page provide a good overview to the roller coaster that was late May/early June for the band. A post on May 30th excitedly tells fans to hurry and get tickets for the group’s New York City performance because they are nearly sold out. Two days later (June 1st) the band brag about playing backyard golf before their show that night in Providence. The next day’s post comes equipped with the disclaimer “This is not a joke,” as the the band explain drummer John Pike hasn’t been seen since very early that morning at a post-show house party in Fairheaven, Massachusetts. Nothing from the group until June 6th when a post titled “John’s Funeral” appears.

According to Spin.com, when the 22-year-old Pike didn’t rejoin bandmates Milo Bonacci, Alexandra Lawn, Wesley Miles, Mathieu Santos, and Rebecca Zellar Saturday, June 2nd, a search party dispersed, and Pike’s cell phone was found on a beach near the house that hosted the party. The following day his body surfaced in the waters of Buzzard’s Bay. No foul play was suspected. Ra Ra Riot didn’t immediately make their future plans clear, but on June 14th the band finally released an official statement, saying, among other things, they would continue, with the blessings of Pike’s family. “There will always be unanswered questions, so we can only surrender to life, and move forward without fully understanding,” the statement read. The band’s self-titled EP (Rebel Group) was released July 10th.

Mason Proper and Sleep Out open.

– Trevor Fisher

Click here for streaming samples of Ra Ra Riot.

Category: Stage Buzz, Weekly