Kevin Bronson on April 17th, 2010

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Who: Ra Ra Riot at the Mojave Tent.
In 3 or Fewer Words: Feel-good uprising.
I’ll Remember This Until My Good Mood Dissipates Because: Those who endured Friday’s miasma of long lines and longer waits needed some sort of celebration. Featuring a bouncy and string-hewn brand of pop catharsis, the Syracuse band rolled out one sweeping, swaggering could-be indie pop anthem after another – confronting a series of grim, mortality-obsessed themes with post-punk guitar riffage and melody-addled Britpop (see also: Airborne Toxic Event) without casting an eyeliner-smeared emo pall upon the capacity audience head-bobbers and howlers. And while previews of subtle, exploratory new tunes from their forthcoming LP raised the most eyebrows, the winding, elastic arcs of songs like “Run My Mouth Off” raised spirits even higher.
What I’d Tell a Friend Who Was at Street Sweeper Social Club: It’s a festival, get happy.
– Travis Woods (Web In Front)