05.11.2012 - Amy Ray @ Radio Radio
May 30, 2012
Radio Radio
Indianapolis, IN
Fountain Square found itself incredibly crowded in a good way on this Friday evening, as Amy Ray, one half of the iconic female duo known as the Indigo Girls, stopped in for a solo show at Radio Radio. She was accompanied by an opening band known as the Shadowboxers, a Georgia band that has toured with the Indigo Girls, among other great acts as Ben Folds and Darius Rucker.
The Shadowboxers took the stage and set it ablaze with their contagious energy, tight vocal harmonies, and soulful songs. This is a band that is so good at their art, that they have already worked with some pretty incredible songwriters and producers, including Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. Their music is intelligent and thoughtful, as if the words and musical arrangements of their songs were perfectly tailored for each other, which is something that is often lacking in such a young band. They created new fans with songs such as “Bad Guy,” “Lovers In Rome,” “Vienna,” and “Ride Home.” The guys are gearing up to release their first album, which was funded by their phenomenal Kickstarter project. I just have to say that I really like these guys…not just because of their musical talent and energy, but also because I think these are guys that I could talk to about music. They are influenced by and love so many different bands and artists. It’s refreshing. I can’t wait for the album to be released. I will listen to it in my vehicle with my windows down…it’s that good. Go check out their website, www.theshadowboxers.com, where you can listen to some songs, see some behind the scenes videos, and have your mind blown.
It wasn’t long before Amy Ray took the stage, kicking off the evening with the bluegrass driven song “The Rock Is My Foundation,” from her newest solo project, Lung of Love. The crowd loved this and you could physically feel the energy spike in the room after this number. Someone even yelled out “The mandolin is so awesome!” after the song. If you look over the catalog of Amy Ray’s work, it’s clear that she doesn’t shy away from addressing the rawness of the human experience. And that is exactly what you get at a live show…an artist singing songs in such an honest and authentic way that you can’t help but be moved. The content of her songs and the application of the live performance, particularly songs from Lung of Love, speak of one thing…truth. The crowd loved singing and moving along to “When You’re Gone, You’re Gone” and “Little Revolution,” and the room almost became silent during her performance of the heart-wrenching “I Didn’t.” I know I’m not the only one in Indy that felt honored to see this artist live and got to witness brilliance first hand. From the power of her voice, the intricate songwriting, a backing band full of talent, to the musical prowess, and those well worn shoes and plaid pants, the truth speaks from Amy Ray.
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