The guys from RAQ may hail from the green mountains of Vermont, but they have a second home south of the Mason Dixon line. Last Saturday the RAQ Express made its inaugural appearance at the Neighborhood Theatre in Charlotte, NC, the first of a week's worth of shows in the "dirty south". This was my first show since Lew Au II in August and there is nothing like that feeling of seeing your favorite band and the family that has formed around it. With Halloween right around the corner, several fans couldn't help but take advantage of getting more wear out of their costumes including a very energetic "Ghost Buster", some goulish creatures, and I believe a guy who was "Drinking Beers for Jesus".
Opening first set with "15 Shakes" the crowd got their groove on early and kept the momentum with additional highlights including Late Nite, a Will Run>Hot Lunch>Will Run sandwich (with Ghost Buster teases) and Bob Dylan's "Tough Mama". RAQ ended first set with a spine-chilling Silhouette which left the crowd yearning for more.
After a brief set-break RAQ continued to bring the HEAT with a "Led Boots" opener followed by "Tumbling Down" and a personal favorite "Technoavailable". By this time, I had wandered from the keyboardist Todd Stoops side over to the bass player, Jay Burwick's area (aka the Burwicked Patrol) and proceeded to throw down to another musical sandwich of "Brother From Another Mother" (BFAM) into Green Day's "Brain Stew" back into BFAM. For the rest of the evening I danced center stage in full view of Chris Michetti's rippin guitar playing and Greg Stukey's hypnotic drumming which never ceases to amaze me how he can "capture" the energy that is RAQ. Second set ended with Hitchhiker, something I wanted to do for the next show and not think about work on Monday. The band treated the fans with a triple encore with a fast flying "Down Low" and ending the night letting us know its "all good" with a fun version of "Bob's Your Uncle" followed by the end of Late Nite.
Sunday's show was dubbed "Fan Appreciation Night" with an intimate show in Boone, North Carolina at the Boone Saloon, a venue that boast having RAQ "back in the day". First set, the fans were treated to a complete version of RAQ's second studio album "Carbohydrates". Although not personally privileged to be at this show, thoughts of this brought me back to the RAQ days of 2004 and 2005 when we were treated nightly to "Shirley be a Drooler, Circumstance, and Beauregard" (although rarely both parts in one night). Second set opened with Frank Zappa's "Carolina Hardcore Ecstasy" followed by a "Stuck in a Hole">Rattlesnake>Stuck" sandwich. Additional highlights were "Chuck" and "Ventriloquist". Second set ended with "Hot Wired" hinting to perhaps needing a "little sleep". Another triple encore ended the night with the Cars "Just What I Needed", followed by a crowd pleasing "Wax" and "Clamslide".
RAQ continues to bring the heat to the south with a guaranteed howling good time at the Orange Peel in Asheville, North Carolina for Halloween. Get those costumes ready, bring on the glitter, and hop on the RAQ Express (check out raqmusic.com for tickets). From Asheville the train heads to Atlanta on Thursday at Smith's Olde Bar and ends their southern run at the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh, North Carolina on Friday November 2nd.
The RAQ November calendar is filling up with a rock'in Thanksgiving run including the State Theatre in Virginia and the Highline Ballroom in NYC followed by dates in TN, AL, and a two-night run in Austin, Texas.
RAQ is ringing in the New Year with a two-night run at the infamous Bijou Theatre in Knoxville, Tennessee (Knoxbijou.com). This is sure to be the throw-down of the year and NOT to be missed.
- by Helen Furr - Jampire #8
Opening first set with "15 Shakes" the crowd got their groove on early and kept the momentum with additional highlights including Late Nite, a Will Run>Hot Lunch>Will Run sandwich (with Ghost Buster teases) and Bob Dylan's "Tough Mama". RAQ ended first set with a spine-chilling Silhouette which left the crowd yearning for more.
After a brief set-break RAQ continued to bring the HEAT with a "Led Boots" opener followed by "Tumbling Down" and a personal favorite "Technoavailable". By this time, I had wandered from the keyboardist Todd Stoops side over to the bass player, Jay Burwick's area (aka the Burwicked Patrol) and proceeded to throw down to another musical sandwich of "Brother From Another Mother" (BFAM) into Green Day's "Brain Stew" back into BFAM. For the rest of the evening I danced center stage in full view of Chris Michetti's rippin guitar playing and Greg Stukey's hypnotic drumming which never ceases to amaze me how he can "capture" the energy that is RAQ. Second set ended with Hitchhiker, something I wanted to do for the next show and not think about work on Monday. The band treated the fans with a triple encore with a fast flying "Down Low" and ending the night letting us know its "all good" with a fun version of "Bob's Your Uncle" followed by the end of Late Nite.
Sunday's show was dubbed "Fan Appreciation Night" with an intimate show in Boone, North Carolina at the Boone Saloon, a venue that boast having RAQ "back in the day". First set, the fans were treated to a complete version of RAQ's second studio album "Carbohydrates". Although not personally privileged to be at this show, thoughts of this brought me back to the RAQ days of 2004 and 2005 when we were treated nightly to "Shirley be a Drooler, Circumstance, and Beauregard" (although rarely both parts in one night). Second set opened with Frank Zappa's "Carolina Hardcore Ecstasy" followed by a "Stuck in a Hole">Rattlesnake>Stuck" sandwich. Additional highlights were "Chuck" and "Ventriloquist". Second set ended with "Hot Wired" hinting to perhaps needing a "little sleep". Another triple encore ended the night with the Cars "Just What I Needed", followed by a crowd pleasing "Wax" and "Clamslide".
RAQ continues to bring the heat to the south with a guaranteed howling good time at the Orange Peel in Asheville, North Carolina for Halloween. Get those costumes ready, bring on the glitter, and hop on the RAQ Express (check out raqmusic.com for tickets). From Asheville the train heads to Atlanta on Thursday at Smith's Olde Bar and ends their southern run at the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh, North Carolina on Friday November 2nd.
The RAQ November calendar is filling up with a rock'in Thanksgiving run including the State Theatre in Virginia and the Highline Ballroom in NYC followed by dates in TN, AL, and a two-night run in Austin, Texas.
RAQ is ringing in the New Year with a two-night run at the infamous Bijou Theatre in Knoxville, Tennessee (Knoxbijou.com). This is sure to be the throw-down of the year and NOT to be missed.
- by Helen Furr - Jampire #8
