By Jodi Root
The final day of March in Chicago marked the first (non-official) day of summer – at least it seemed to, with its cloudless, sunny skies and 70 degree temperature. Skipping over to Schubas, the summeresque vibe transitioned into an almost Caribbean like flavor, when Sub Pop’s electronic darling trio The Ruby Suns took to the stage. Headlining a night of ambient and refreshing digital beats, The Ruby Suns kicked their set off around the 10:15 mark, following a set by Toro y Moi. Layers of synthetic samples, rounds of percussion (sometimes attacked by all 3 members simultaneously), and cool, echoic vocal harmonies set the foundation of an hour long journey into the ideal soundtrack for the perfect, chill summer evening.
Following the trends set forth by electro-indie outfits Animal Collective and El Guincho, The Ruby Suns kept their digital collage of melodies flowing from sounds of upbeat pop to darkened safari and somewhere mysterious in between, all with a dancey backbeat. With a $3 Jim Bean concoction in my hand, I found myself taken by the charm and trance like rhythms casting from the small, violet, fuchsia and gold illuminated stage. The small, yet condensed audience seemed to eat it up, swaying their bodies in the tight crowd, swigging back cocktails and applauding their appreciation—especially after front man Ryan McPhun confided his infatuation with spring break. Between the floral decked out drum kit, gentle vocal harmonies, tinkering chimes, thunderous synth work and electro guitar, there was no denying that Chicago had finally concluded its notorious annual cold spell known as winter. Thanks are due, of course, to the Ruby Suns for casting their mesmerizing melodic rays.
Buy: The Ruby Suns – Fight Softly
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MP3: The Ruby Suns – “Closet Astrologer”
