Read in Response
“Finish Strong”
The Channel
August 23, 2008
I had the oppurtunity to go check out Read in Response for the first time last Saturday night in Greenville at The Channel and was impressed with this band on multiple levels. I’ve only heard good things about them from my friends at Clemson and my sister and they lived up to all of my expectations.
They opened up Saturday night with the first song on their Myspace “Midst of War” and it is one of my favorite tracks. Rob nailed the solo as I hoped he would.
The sound at The Channel is a perfect match for Read in Response who play a style of music where every note that is played and every sound that is made is made for a reason and needs to be heard. There are other places that you can play, none of which I will name, where the live sound isn’t as planned and half the time you can’t hear a keyboard or a sample.
Read in Response play a clean easy going style of music that is really fresh to the listeners ear. A style of music that can appeal to many types of music listeners. I read one comparison to Maroon 5 and I do hear it in songs such as “Hello Love” minus the fact that RIR aren’t a band that is built to sell out, and all of their songs aren’t about sleeping around. Add the fact that Dave has a smoother voice and in my opinion a better sound.
I think a better comparison for them would be the poppier Death Cab for Cutie songs such as “The Sound of Settling.” When I listen to Read in Response I can hear the small influences of a lot of bands, but you can’t just pin one band that they sound like. Another great thing about RIR is that their sound is still evolving and it is exciting to see where they will end up.
Read in Response is a band built of talented musicians and it really shows live. They come together as one onstage and put on a solid performance.
I would advise bands not to book any shows with Read in Response. They might just steal your fans.
