Concert Review: Ratboys (Eulogy)

BY PIXIE HOCKER

It took five years, but Ratboys finally made their way back to Asheville on Saturday night for a nearly sold-out show at Eulogy. With the help from Toronto band Ducks Ltd., Ratboys played a lively and animated show for the third night of their spring tour for their album, The Window, that came out last August on Topshelf Records.

I’ve been listening to Ratboys for the past couple of years, but they really drew me in with their latest album. The Window was not only one of my favorite albums from 2023, but it also served as a testimony to Ratboys’ growth as a band. While their sound hasn’t changed much over the years, they have refined their signature post-country-punk sound and their lyricism.

The lyricism is credited to lead singer, Julia Steiner, who also plays guitar for the band. But the lyricism wouldn’t stand a chance without the support from her bandmates. Joining her on stage was guitarist Dave Sagan, who formed Ratboys with Steiner after meeting at freshman orientation at Notre Dame. Also with her on stage was drummer Marcus Nuccio and bassist/backup vocalist Sean Neumann, who later joined the band and helped create a more dynamic stage presence for Ratboys.

Putting on a fast-paced and fun show didn’t stop Ratboys from pausing for sentiment between songs. Before playing fan favorite, and a personal favorite, “Elvis Is In The Freezer”, Ratboys’ lead singer Julia Steiner took a moment to explain the meaning of the song. Elvis was her cat from childhood that passed while she was away at college. Her mom put Elvis in the freezer so Julia would be able to say goodbye when she came home from college. At another moment in the show where Julia was switching guitars, she recounted that the guitar she was about to use was her first guitar that she got when she was only ten years old.

[message]

PIXIE HOCKER

Pixie Hocker has loved music for as long as they can remember and has gone to more concerts than she can count. Pixie is the Music Director at her college station 90.5 WASU-FM and hosts a weekly specialty show at Boone Area Community Radio.

Read Pixie's posts here.