I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: November 18, 2019] Ringo Deathstarr

Ringo Deathstarr is the kind of bandname that makes people either smile or groan.  Obviously it makes me smile.  It does not really tell you what they’ll sound like though.  I first heard of them back in 2011 on NPR when they played the fantastic “Swirly.”  I was immediately hooked by the woozy guitars and the juxtaposition of heaviness.

I never forget the band name, but I never really thought too much more about them.  Until I saw that they were coming to Boot & Saddle.  I’m not sure if they have played Philly before (I assume so), but the crowd was really into it and excited from them.

Ringo Deathstarr is the project of Elliott Frazier (on guitar and vocals), Alex Gehring on bass and vocals and Daniel Coborn on drums.  For this show I was parked right in front of Frazier and got to watch him do all kinds of wonderful and weird things to create fantastic sounds from his guitar.

When the band walked up on stage, the lighting was decent and it was nice to get a good look at the band before the stage people turned the lights blue.  After a couple of songs, they begged for the lights to be changed and were told that there was no one there who could fix them.  What?  What kind of crappy way to treat a band!  I really like Boot & Saddle as a venue but lately their lights have been terrible.  So they were bathed in deep blue all night long with never a change.  (It’s better than magenta, but just barely).

They started off with two earlier songs, “Tambourine Girl” which opens with woozy almost unsettling chords before turning into a fast punkish song.  It jumps back and forth between the two styles and was a phenomenal way to start the show.  Elliott sings lead on this one, although I was a little too close to hear them clearly.  It was followed by “So High” which is a little poppier and was sung by both Alex and Elliott alternating leads.

Elliott told us they were finishing up a new album and so they’d be playing a few new songs.  They had some equipment trouble when “God Help” started and had to start it over.  He said it was a new song so it was okay if they messed it up.  But after tinkering a bit, Alex’s full bass sound exploded out and it sounded fantastic.  It was followed by “God’s Dream” which features some of Alex’s best shoegazey vocals and soaring guitars. I really like the way she sings slowly and gently even over the crashing guitars and drums.  This song was one of many to feature some great noisy solos from Elliott.

Cotton Candy Clouds is another new song.  As fits the title, it’s a delicate, pretty song with a lovely guitar melody.   It sounds like a lullaby until the chorus when the guitars crash out with all kinds of feedback.

The band jumped to the Pure Mood album for a bunch of songs, starting with “Stare at the Sun” which features some great bass work from Alex while she sang.  Up next was “Never,” which features a terrific array of sounds, from the pretty guitar melody to the wall of noise to the amazing drumming from Coborn whose floor tom is, I believe, a bass drum (and who was surprisingly hard to get a picture of).  They were tight as anything stopping on a dime in the middle of the song for the vocals only part and jumping right back in.

They followed that up with “Heavy Metal Suicide” in which you can see Elliott tuning his guitar while he’s playing (and impressive feat–although his comment on the video indicates he isn’t as impressed).

Then came a new song.  Lazy Lane has some cool bass lines and lovely ringing guitars.

They jumped right back to Pure Mood for “Guilt.”  I really loved the way Coborn blasted some awesome drum fills.  It’s amazing when a three piece can make so much sound.

Then a couple more new songs.  “Heaven Obscured” (“Pink Pudding” on setlist), which featured some different guitar sounds and a somewhat conventional middle section, and “Just Like You.”

The last three songs were phenomenal.  I loved the incredibly noisy riff and solo from Elliott on “Big Bopper.” Up next was “Frisbee” a slow song with both of them singing and a real shoegazey feel.  They ended with “Summertime,” a slow hazy song that conjures up the titular season with delicate verses and a big noisy solo (while Alex oohs over it).  It was a terrific set ender.

After the show, Alex was selling merch and she chatted for a minute or so.  She was super friendly and nice, which is always a good thing.

SETLIST

1. Tambourine Girl ©
2. I’m So High ©
3. God Help The One’s You Love ♣
4. God’s Dream ≅
5. Cotton Candy Clouds ♣
6. Stare at the Sun Θ
7. Never Θ
8. Heavy Metal Suicide Θ
9. Lazy Lane ♣
10. Guilt Θ
11. Heaven Obscured ♣
12. Just Like You ♣
13. Big Bopper Θ
14. Frisbee Θ
15. Summertime $

♣ Ringo Deathstarr (2020)
Θ Pure Mood (2015)
≅ God’s Dream (2013)
©Colour Trip (2011)
$ Sparkler (2009)