[ATTENDED: May 8, 2024] Ratboys
I saw Ratboys headline a show in November and it was great. They have been together since 2010, formed by singer/guitarist Julia Steiner and guitar wizard David Sagan.
When I saw them, Steiner told us how pleased she was to have so many different guitars on tour with her, because they were all tuned differently–it made things so easy! She had a flying V, which was in standard tuning.
That’s the only guitar she used for this set, so I’m guessing all six of the songs they played were in standard tuning.
The set opened the same with, with the blistering rocker “Making Noise for the Ones You Love.” It’s like a statement of purpose that totally rocks for like 90 seconds before there’s even vocals.
Morning Zoo slows things down and lets you know the diversity of the band’s sound.
It’s Alive is getting a lot of airplay. My son recognized it and we all agreed it sounds even better live.
Steiner told us an anecdote about Elvis in the Freezer which she didn’t say at Johnny Brenda’s. She said that their cat, Elvis, died while she was at college and her mom put him in the freezer until she got home (it’s a Kentucky thing). Knowing this made the song more amusing and more surreal.
I really like so much about this new album, and the title track is so catchy.
I knew about Ratboys from their previous album Printer’s Devil. I feel like I should have wanted to hear more from it, but I like the new album so much that it’s fine that they only played “I Go Out at Night.”
“Go Outside” is a country kind of song. Knowing that Steiner is originally from Kentucky explains that vibe, and maybe her delivery as well.
They ended the set with “Black Earth, WI.” I wasn’t sure if they’d play it because it’s long and has like a 3 minute guitar solo in the middle. But they did play it and it totally won over the audience. You wouldn’t think that a guitar solo could impress, but David Sagan played a solo with catchy parts and with noisy parts and the rest of the band just got louder and louder along with him.
I was so happy to see them again and I think they made some new fans.
| 2024 (opener for Decemberists) | 2023 (headliner) |
| Making Noise for the Ones You Love ∏ | Making Noise for the Ones You Love ∏ |
| Morning Zoo ∏ | Morning Zoo ∏ |
| It’s Alive! ∏ | Go Outside Δ |
| Elvis is in the Freezer ℵ | Crossed That Line ∏ |
| The Window ∏ | Space Blows Δ |
| I Go Out at Night Ψ | No Way ∏ |
| Go Outside Δ | The Window ∏ |
| Black Earth, WI ∏ | I Go Out at Night Ψ |
| It’s Alive! ∏ | |
| Bad Reaction ∏ | |
| Elvis is in the Freezer ℵ | |
| I Want You (Fall 2010) ∏ | |
| Charles Bernstein ⊗ | |
| Empty ∏ | |
| Break ∏ | |
| Black Earth, WI ∏ | |
| encore | |
| Alien with a Sleep Mask On Ψ | |
| Look To Ψ |
∏ The Window (2023)
Δ Happy Birthday, Ratboy (2021)
Ψ Printer’s Devil (2020)
ℵ GN (2017)
⊗ AOID (2015)
I Just Read About That... 
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