I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: September 26, 2023] Ratboys

I’m not sure when I first heard about Ratboys.  I think it was the release of their (terrific) album Printer’s Devil.  They were scheduled to play Johnny Brenda’s three times and each one was postponed during the pandemic.  I seem to have missed when the show was actually rescheduled though. Oops.

At any rate, two years later and they are back.  And they have a new album, The Window.  And it is really great too.  Which is good because they played every song from it (although not in album order).

Ratboys have been together since 2010, formed by singer/guitarist Julia Steiner and guitar wizard David Sagan.  I really enjoyed watching Sagan play with the pedals on the floor–for the encore, he even brought out some kind of remote controlled feedbacky gadget which was cool.

I was in a strange location for me at the show.  I was literally standing right under bassist Sean Neumann, so I couldn’t really see his face much, but I enjoyed watching his basswork and his backing vocals were stellar.

I couldn’t see drummer Marcus Nuccio at all–he was blocked by a cymbal–except when about four songs in he had two switch out his snare drum.  Steiner said that he had recently bought a very old snare drum (from the 1970s) and it lasted all of four songs!

But it’s clear that the focus of the band is Steiner.  She’s got a great, unique voice.   She reminds me of Blossom Dearie, which I have no idea if that’s a compliment or not, but I hope it is.  I also get a kind of Charly Bliss vibe from them–rocking songs with a singer who sounds kind of young and (dare I use the word) girly.  I think it works really well for songs lie this.  Especially since some of the songs are real bangers that rock and rage, but her voice brings them back around to a calmer tone somehow.  Plus, she sings so clearly, her lyrics are really easy to follow.

The opened the set with the first two songs from the album.  “Making Noise” is a banger that opens the gate.  “Zoo” slows things a bit, with a great guitar riffs, Steiner told us how pleased she was to have so many different guitars on tor with her, because they were all tuned differently–it made things so easy!

The flying V was in standard tuning and was used for the most country song of the bunch “Go Outside” and the fun and punky “Crossed That Line.”

I got a kick out of Steiner when Nuccio changed drums.  He needed an extra time, so she started the next song, “Space Blows,” but sang it extra slow until he was ready.

The Blossom Dearie component comes out especially in a song like “No Way” in which I love to hear her sweet voice sing “take your penny for your thoughts and throw them straight to hell.”

The song wasn’t all rocking, as the opening to “The Window” is just Steiner singing gentle over a lovely melody.  But the song does kick into high gear soon after.

They only played a few songs from Printer’s Devil, mid set with “I Go Out at Night” and then the two encore songs.

Speaking of guitar riffs, Steiner, switched to a guitar which she said was in a tuning of her own design “Do not try this at home.”  I’m pretty intrigued by that.  It makes sense that it was used for the song “It’s Alive!”  Before the song, while she was making sure the guitar was properly tuned, someone asked her to tell a joke and she told her favorite

How does the butcher introduce his wife?  Meet Patty.

I also really enjoyed the dual guitar riffs that both Sagan and Steiner played as the intro for “Elvis in the Freezer.”

They only played one song from their debut AOID, and “Charles Bernstein” received a huge round of excitement from the sold out crowd.  It was followed by the totally rocking “Empty” and the more mellow (but still catchy) “Break” and they ended the set with a spectacular song–the album ending “Black Earth, WI.”  This song is a slow jam that stretches out eight minutes and really gives Sagan a chance to solo and solo some more and yet even more.  For me, the best part of the soloing is that every few measures (it only happens two or three times during the expansive solo) Neumann plays a five note that ties everything together.  I enjoyed the song on record, but it really shines live and is a perfect set-ender.

Sagan left for the “encore” but the rest of the band stayed on stage.  Steiner joked that she liked to be efficient even if she did lie about that being the last song.

So they played two more, the rocking “Alien with a Sleep Mask On” and the poppy punk of “Look To,” a great ending to an absolutely fun set.

I had missed a few shows because I was feeling a little worn out.  I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to go out this night, but I’m so glad I did.  And the show was done by 10:30!  Home by midnight, gotta love it.

Go Ratboys!

1. Making Noise for the Ones You Love ∏
2. Morning Zoo ∏
3. Go Outside Δ
4. Crossed That Line ∏
5. Space Blows Δ
6. No Way ∏
7. The Window ∏
8. I Go Out at Night Ψ
9. It’s Alive! ∏
10. Bad Reaction ∏
11. Elvis is in the Freezer ℵ
12. I Want You (Fall 2010) ∏
13. Charles Bernstein ⊗
14. Empty ∏
15. Break ∏
16. Black Earth, WI ∏
    encore
17. Alien with a Sleep Mask On Ψ
18. Look To Ψ

∏ The Window (2023)
Δ Happy Birthday, Ratboy (2021)
Ψ Printer’s Devil (2020)
ℵ GN (2017)
⊗ AOID (2015)