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by Moses Namkung
Having recently kicked off their first major tour in the States and fresh off the official release several days ago of their underground hit Hometowns on Saddle Creek, the Rural Alberta Advantage's genuine excitement with their recent success was refreshing to witness at BOTH last night.
On stage, the Canadian trio provided a sweet, effervescent presence. The voice of lead singer Nils Edenloff has drawn numerous comparisons to that of Jeff Mangum, and during the set, your friendly correspondent did conjure visions of Neutral Milk Hotel as well as Colin Meloy and Postal Service. But these evocations do not imply imitation - the RAA do create their own distinctive sound. Give "Don't Haunt This Place" a listen; with thumping drums and backing female harmonies, this twee but addictive indie anthem showcases the RAA at their best and was a definite highlight of the set.
With their all-around friendly Canadian image, it was tough to gauge main demographic groups of their fans and the audience. There was a definite cluster of the underage near the front, Xs marked on their hands, clad in The RAA t-shirts that they had just purchased. (What was this, Dashboard Confessional?) Yet, the crowd did also sport a diverse mix of hipsters clutching shrink-wrapped vinyl, middle-aged gray hairs, and general Bay Area music faithful.
Nils offered explanations of the meaning of songs, which generally revolved around themes of home and growing up in Alberta. One song, notably, was not - Nils broke out a surprise solo acoustic cover of retro-pleaser "Eye of the Tiger" for the first encore. And the audience was loving the show enough to bring The RAA out for an impromptu second encore, and their surprise and sincere gratitude at their warm reception at BOTH made it hard not to root for them.
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