sweet girl.

My first weekend back in College Park, and hopefully working in the city for good, I knew I had to find something to do to counteract all of my prior downtime at home and the horrific job search. After two mediocre house parties and an advanced screening of Choke, there was the pièce de résistance: The Flying Eyes, Ringo Deathstarr, and 2 1/2 Teeth at WMUC radio station.

Now I have been curious about Ringo Deathstarr for a while and this is another a reason why being affiliated with WMUC really pays off. I got to see this band that intrigues me all for a $3-5 suggested donation. All I really knew about them going in was that I thoroughly enjoy listening to their EP. They had played DC the night before, but I hadn't been able to make it so I was really happy they put on another show. With near perfect timing, we arrived shortly after they took the stage.



In the small studio that is the liveroom, there was little separation between band and audience. The stylishly clad group banged, clanged, and sang away, the room reverberating with feedback, rhythm, and echo. Everyone was sweating, dancing, gazing, and even moshing. I came out with some new battlescars as well. The set was flawless and the band seemed taken with the crowd's involvement. They even hung around afterwards just chilling and speaking with the kids, all without an ounce of arrogance. I was so envious at how effortlessly they seemed to pull it all off.

Finally, what I found is that all of the Jesus & Mary Chain comparisons don't do either of the groups justice. Yes, I would consider Ringo Deathstarr to be shoegaze, but not in a purely traditional sense. They have taken a modern spin on the genre, and have made it their own. While they could sound like a mixture of Psychocandy and Loveless, that's so cliche and Ringo Deathstarr have their own sound and presence.