Soldier On Dear Friend

When concerts consist of two or more bands, there is an unspoken rule that one band will be worse than another, or that the concert will magically become more fun when the most anticipated band takes the stage. If this is true, then the most recent Olde Club show was an anomaly. From beginning to end, it was a wonderful, rousing time.

Austin Dike | The Phoenix

The show opened with Soldier On Dear Friend. By the time their set was over, Olde Club was full to the brim. Apparently, the band had acquired a good many fans in their short time at Swarthmore — throughout the venue, people were smiling and nodding along in a joyful, nostalgic manner. It was certainly apparent that SODF was fresh off of their New York City debut; they very well could have been the headlining band. Their stage presence was remarkable. I found it especially enjoyable to watch the interaction between the bassist, guitarist and violinist. They were genuinely enjoying themselves, and it came through in their music.

It was also absurdly refreshing to see a band comprised not only of young people, but of young talented people. Especially impressive was violinist Meredith Leich ’08. In one particular solo, she played the violin with an incredible dexterity that made it look easy and a passion that made it sound beautiful

The concert took a completely different turn when And The Moneynotes took the stage. They brought a definite exuberance to the space, making kind of lame jokes that somehow managed to be hilarious (i.e., calling the upper balcony “The Party Deck” and harping on that moniker for far, far too long). Their music, though, was hardly lame. They played an absolutely raucous brand of indie pop, complete with fiddle playing and yelping and leaping about. They also took some of their warm-up time to play some crowd-pleasing blasts from the past by Weezer and Foreigner, which resulted in a sing-along of sorts.

I need to take a moment to acknowledge whoever designs the lights in Olde Club, because they created a wonderful, ethereal ambience on several occasions during which a bright, white spotlight suddenly shined upon the musicians. In the dingy darkness of Olde Club, with its stone walls and creaky stage, this effect was spooky, aesthetically pleasing and fun fodder for the lead singer of And The Moneynotes, who made a face and commented on the “holy light.”

Last but not least, Ra Ra Riot emerged from the shadowy recesses of the Women’s Resource Center. It can’t be denied that they were a beautiful bunch, oddly attractive and dressed in the ultimate in hipster chic.

But their appearance, though noteworthy, was certainly second to the sound they produced. Ra Ra Riot infused a shocking sense of melancholy and longing into their well-crafted pop-based songs. This was enhanced by the use of a cello that moaned throughout each tune, creating a haunting vibe (which, of course, was then enhanced even further by that ghostly white spotlight). Eyes were fixed on the stage, and bodies swayed almost involuntarily to Ra Ra Riot’s bewitching sound. I would argue that they are inappropriately named — something more soothing and creepy would better fit the bill.

This is far from saying that their performance was dull; they were incredible live performers, their energy and love for their craft palpable. - The Phoenix