It’s no fluke that Ra Ra Riot went from playing gigs around Syracuse University’s campus to headlining a national tour in less than a year’s time. The five-piece indie rock band is an absolute joy to see live. Lead vocalist Wes Miles possesses a melancholy croon that drips with sincerity. And cellist Alexandra Lawn and violinist Rebecca Zeller manage to awkwardly dance, err, hop, about while playing their respective instruments. (Check out a clip of the band playing Late Show with David Letterman via YouTube and you’ll see what I mean.) Since releasing their critically acclaimed debut LP The Rhumb Line through Barsuk Records last year, Ra Ra Riot have become a beloved favorite in the indie circuit. Yet they still come off like a handful of eager (and slightly geeky) college kids rocking out to earn some beer money—which makes them all the more endearing. Photo courtesy of Jordan Swartz.

Wed., Feb. 25, 8 p.m., 2009