Review: Born Ruffians at Ottobar, Oct 4
Percussion was the star Monday evening at the Born Ruffians show at the Ottobar.
Noisy two-man Baltimore band Weekends set the tone for the night with their relentless drumming. Opening for Montreal's Winter Gloves, Brendan Sullivan and Adam Lempel never let up; they even traded drums and guitar mid-set.
By the time Born Ruffians took the stage, the audience was properly stoked. The Canadians can be misleadingly low-key, but on Monday, they overpowered the venue.
Kicking things off with “Foxes Mate For Life,” from their 2008 debut “Red, Yellow & Blue,” and quickly following up with “Barnacle Goose," their set was louder than anything that's ever come out of Ontario.
“Foxes” made for a perfect opener, beginning with a soft chord progression before bursting with a propulsive drum beat. “Barnacle Goose” kept the energy high, as the band punctuated the lilting vocal opening with synchronized drum blasts and shouts.
They retained the light, jangly charm of their album throughout, but felt much more vital live, due in no small part to Steven Hamelin's furious drumming and to singer/guitarist Luke LaLonde’s rambunctious guitar parts. The hoe-down ending of “Little Garcon” sounded like it came from a much larger band. "Kurt Vonnegut" was a barnburner, clattering to a noisy end despite its smooth vocal harmonies.
Even with time allotted for banter, the band didn't let the set slow down and, overall, wasted very little time between tunes.
“What To Say” seethed with a bubbling tension live that’s mostly absent from its album counterpart. LaLonde’s walking guitar line and soulful voice even managed to sound sexy at certain points. But anyone seduced by the tune was quickly brought back to reality with the stabbing drums of “Nova-Leigh,” which showcased the band’s punk-rock side.
The song’s half-shouted chorus, complete with off-kilter drums and chugging guitar was a late-set highlight, one that was quickly topped by fan favorite “I Need A Life.”
Born Ruffians split their set between new and old songs, going as far back as “Red, Yellow & Blue.” They are now touring with their new album, "Say It," from Warp Records.
It's not a stretch to say their catchy tunes turned the Ottobar into a summer house party Monday night, with audience and band singing in unison for the last hour of the show. After Hamelin lost his drumstick in the audience, someone even used it to turn his Natty Boh into a DIY cowbell.
Set list:
Foxes Mate For Life
Barnacle Goose
Sole Brother
In A Mirror
Retard Canard
Plinky Plonky
The Ballad of Moose Bruce
Oh Man
Little Garcon
Hummingbird
What To Say
Nova-Leigh
I Need A Life
Encore: Kurt Vonnegut
-Jacob Barron
Jacob Barron is a finance writer by day, and a voracious music consumer and bar enthusiast by night. He contributes occasionally to drawuslines.com.
Photo: Born Ruffians Myspace
Erik Maza is a features reporter at the Baltimore Sun. He writes for several sections of the Sun paper and contributes weekly columns on music and nightlife. He also writes and edits the Midnight Sun blog. He often covers entertainment, business, and the business of entertainment. Occasionally, he writes about Four Loko, The Block, the liquor board, and those who practice "
