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BY DAISY SCHMITT

In print | Published January 22, 2009

After what was hopefully a relaxing winter break, Swarthmore students had best ready themselves to get shaken up once again at Olde Club this weekend. When the planned Ra Ra Riot show was cancelled last semester, disappointment was plentiful. But absence makes the heart grow fonder, and now anticipation for the show is especially high. Another exciting factor is the return of Madalyn Baldanzi ’08, Meredith Leich ’08 and Anna Ghublikian ’08, who will be joining Zach Weinstein ’11 in the form of the up-and-coming band Soldier On Dear Friend.

Back in December, illness in Ra Ra Riot caused the last Olde Club show of the semester to be cancelled. “We decided right then and there, though, that we’d do whatever we could to reschedule,” Olde Club Coordinator Charlie Decker ’09 said. “Ra Ra Riot had been my top target ever since I was hired as Booking Director, so I wasn’t about to let them get away.” Decker, who has seen Ra Ra Riot live five times, says “you can tell that they’re having a great time on stage, and that they love each other and what they do.”

Ra Ra Riot stands apart from the indie crowd music-wise, as well. A cellist and a violinist add a special layer to their sound, which has been described by NPR as “swooning” and “sinuous.” This originality helped them burst prominently onto the music scene with the release of their first full-length album, “The Rhumb Line,” in August. They began as a group of friends with a mutual love of music at Syracuse University and have quickly skyrocketed to fame and critical acclaim. In 2007, the band faced a difficult obstacle, the death of their drummer, John Pike. This loss is certainly felt on their album, which has a palpable melancholy to it along with its beauty and catchiness.

The members of Ra Ra Riot have definitely put themselves on the map, and their opener, Soldier On Dear Friend, is following in their footsteps. When SODF began last year at Swarthmore, it was mostly for fun. “Madalyn and I just wanted to make music together, so we wrangled up Meredith and Zach and started a cover band,” guitarist Ghublikian said. However, as time went on, things became more serious. After writing some of their own songs and recording an EP over the summer, SODF came to a realization, deciding to “give the whole band thing a try,” bassist Baldanzi said. “We’re starting to play around New York and Philly. We’re hoping to get back into the studio soon to record a whole bunch of new songs and work on some of the old ones.”

In fact, SODF is coming to Olde Club fresh off their New York debut at the Annex. “We weren’t in the familiar setting of Olde Club, and since we decided to take our band more seriously now that most of us are done with school, the stakes seem a lot higher,” Ghublikian said. And it keeps getting better; opening for Ra Ra Riot is a big step for the band, as they continue to grow as an ensemble.

They seem, however, to be developing a definite and coherent style all their own. When asked about their inspirations, Ghublikian cited artists which range from “Korean folk tunes to Kate Bush, from Bach to Beirut,” Andrew Bird, The Decemberists, and, as a matter of fact, Ra Ra Riot. The Decemberists comparison is especially helpful in understanding the essence of SODF; their songs tell intricate stories and give great importance to the small, beautiful things in life (such as the Morton Salt Girl, a subject of one of their songs).

It is also clear that the diversity of the band members’ musical backgrounds is very important to the evolution of their sound. Both Ghublikian and Leich are classically trained violinists. Baldanzi is, according to Leich, a “serious connoisseur of rock,” and Weinstein has quite a bit of experience playing both guitar and drums in bands, coupled with recording knowledge. “At Swarthmore, I minored in music, so I learned a lot of music theory and history and was able to play in more classical groups than [is] healthy, but … I am embarrassingly ignorant regarding pop music,” Leich said, who, post-Swarthmore, has been catching up on the past 50 years of rock. “In any event,” she said, “I think that our musically diverse backgrounds really enrich what we’re able to play together.”

Both Soldier On Dear Friend and Ra Ra Riot are testaments to the power of the love of music. Despite death, distance and other obstacles, both bands have come out even stronger, making music that is powerful and yet accessible and creating seemingly unbreakable bonds. Both bands combine a multitude of musical talents, creating a unique sound. Both are comprised entirely of passionate people who love what they do. And both will be at Olde Club this Friday in a show that cannot be missed.

Olde Club Lineup:

Jan. 23: Ra Ra Riot with And The Moneynotes, Soldier On Dear Friend

Jan. 31: Passion Pit with Cale Parks

Feb. 12: Los Campesinos! with Titus Andronicus

Feb. 27: Tokyo Police Club with Harlem Shakes, Ruby Coast

March 27: Deer Tick with TBA

There will be two more shows in March and April: TBD

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