Sad as it is, we’ve all heard someone describe a band they like by
saying something like, “Oh dude, they’re hella sweet; they sound
just like the Beatles!” It’s a silly thing to say. Just like no
basketball player out of college should be billed as the next Michael
Jordan and no young politician as the next John F. Kennedy, no band
should be subjected to comparisons with the most popular band of all
time.
The Beatles thing, though, was just one of a lot of essentially
positive things I’ve been hearing recently about Seattle group the
Raggedy Anns—four young men who deliver straightforward,
unadulterated, old-timey rock and roll at shows all over town. Last
Wednesday night, opening for Japanther at the Vera Project, the
band delivered on their hype in a big way, electrifying a sleepy crowd
despite their early timeslot.
It’s clear that the Raggedy Anns take much of their inspiration from
the past. Singer Thomas Beecham’s nasally vocal twang jumped between
“Cotton Eyed Joe” speed blues yelp à la Slim Harpo and
heartfelt pop croon. His backing band changed shapes, too, switching
between hard-hitting Kinks-inspired rockers, surf jams,
saloon-style swing, and even a little bit of country. Every song sounds
like a different band is onstage, but one constant is the band’s high
level of talent. Dueling guitars interlock with jaw-dropping intricacy,
drums pound theatrically, the bass never drags, and when Beecham and
the band step to the mics and harmonize, it recalls everything you
love about listening to your parents’ dusty old records.
While it all makes for a band your dad would love, the Raggedy Anns
put on a damn fine show that should please fans of old-time radio
revival bands like the Moondoggies or the Dutchess and the
Duke.
ALL-AGES CALENDAR
Fri Sept 26: Schoolboy Gutbusters, Shotty, Shed, Monkey Theory at The Old Fire House, 8 pm, free.
Fri Sept 26: A Place to Bury Strangers, Sian Alice Group, Mono in VCF at El Corazón, 8 pm, $10 adv/$12 DOS.
Sat Sept 27: School of Rock Presents: The Beatles at Vera Project, 7:30 pm, $11 adv/$13 DOS ($1 off w/club card).
Sat Sept 27: Monster Monster, Mirror the Ghost, If I Were a Gladiator, Ithea at KTUB, 7:30 pm, $6.