Late last year I was extremely excited about a show that was scheduled at Pullman Yards. I remember it was a warm and rainy Saturday in December–the same day a friend of mine decided to host a paintball birthday party. After getting slaughtered by younglings in the paintball arena, bruising my ego and most of my body, I hightailed it over to Pullman Yards to catch Rae and the Ragdolls. Upon arriving, I found out the show had been canceled due to weather. This nearly broke my spirit as I had been anxious to see more of the band since discovering them at the Bad Guru album release party. I tried to see them again in January at Star Bar, but I caught COVID instead, only adding to my frustrations.
Last Friday, however, those frustrations were put to an end when I saw Rae and the Ragdolls perform at Hunt House in Marietta. I had never heard of Hunt House before but I got to bend the ear of their event coordinator, April Uden, while at the show. Standing for over 130 years, the venue is a private event space that hosts parties, weddings, and live music performances in an intimate setting. On a whim, I asked Uden if the house was haunted, as the venue stands a short distance from Kennesaw Mountain and its notoriously ghost-friendly battlefield. She affirmed that guests had allegedly experienced phenomena associated with hauntings. This little tidbit added a layer of mystery and drama to an already inspired set.
If you aren’t familiar with Rae and the Ragdolls, they are a rapidly emerging group that puts a modern spin on ‘60s and ‘70s psychedelic rock. Started by vocalist Natasha Rae Wermers and guitarist William Bennett Jr., the band’s mission is to craft “music to make you feel again.” Joining the duo on their vision quest are guitarist Spencer Lingle, bassist Olivia Towe, keyboardist Ana Hacek, and drummer Devon Hirsch.
The entire band conjures a kind of spectral magic when they play. It’s the sort of spellbinding wizardry that draws in audiences of all ages—from the group’s twenty-something peers to old heads who used to follow the Grateful Dead. I cannot emphasize enough how magnetic and hypnotic their performance was. Everyone at Hunt House was vibing hard to their set as they played covers from the Grateful Dead, Tom Petty, and Jack White while also storming through their catalog of original tunes. Wermers got up in the crowd for most of the orchestrated dance party while the band held down the jams. Hirsch was especially impressive, keeping everyone together with his pocket drumming, which is no easy feat when you have such a strong collection of individual players.
Check out the gallery of images from photographer Jim Dodson below.
Later this year, Rae and the Ragdolls will be dropping a limited run of their double LP, Sunshine in a Shadow, Vol. 1 and 2. The band is currently finishing up tracking the last bits and pieces of the second LP with the first volume already available for streaming.
More Info
Web: raeandtheragdolls.com
Facebook: @raeandtheragdolls
Instagram: @raeandtheragdolls