"From humble beginnings come great things." This clichéd saying rings especially true for the band Ra Ra Riot.
The group, which consists of vocalist and keyboardist Wes Miles, bassist Mathieu Santos, guitarist Milo Bonacci, cellist Alexandra Lawn, drummer Kenny Bernard and violinist Rebecca Zeller, is set to perform tonight in the Reitz Union Rion Ballroom at 8 p.m.
"When we started the band, it was never a conscious decision to make it a career by any means," Lawn said of the indie rock group.
She said many members of the band were about to complete their final semester at Syracuse University, so Ra Ra Riot was more of a small project that they used to somewhat end this era of schooling with a bang.
From playing packed house shows around Syracuse to performing at the College Music Journal Music Marathon just six months after its formation, you could say it exploded onto the music scene.
From the band's very start at Syracuse University in 2006, Ra Ra Riot established its indie chamber-pop sound - not your stereotypical rock band.
Its first album, "The Rhumb Line," truly honed in on the band's chamber-esque sound with eerie lyrics that played perfectly into the intense violin and cello pieces.
Ra Ra Riot's new album strays slightly from its signature eerie air with more upbeat pop-dance tunes, but don't fret. Ra Ra Riot's signature soft, sentimental sound can still be found in its newest release, "The Orchard."
Lawn jokes when she is asked about how she felt contributing vocals to the track "You and I Know" off "The Orchard." Her soulful voice makes this song one of the true stars of the 11-track release.
"I am not a singer by any means," she said. "I've always sung in the car and the shower. My brother and sister have gotten to the point where they get annoyed riding in the car with me ‘cause I apparently sing to every single song no matter what."
She explained how the band enjoys playing at universities.
"Playing schools is always fun, too, ‘cause it is like a little piece of college. We always just hope that our audience has a really good experience with us; we really try to make that happen," Lawn said.
Lawn, one of the youngest members of the band, never obtained her music performance degree from Syracuse because she deferred her enrollment at the university to continue touring and working with Ra Ra Riot.
She said she never thought her involvement with the band would lead her to a career.
The band will take the stage tonight fresh off of a performance on NBC's "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon."
How often do you get to see a cello and violin fuse with an electric guitar to create this sensationally electric music that urges you to move, free of cost? Not too often. Take it from someone who has attended a Ra Ra Riot concert before; you want to go to this.
Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and attendance is first-come, first-served on terms of capacity limits.
Indie rock band Ra Ra Riot will perform tonight at 8 p.m. in the Reitz Union Rion Ballroom.
