Fresh off the release of their new album, You Deserve Love, White Reaper packed in a sold-out Bowery Ballroom. The Louisville rockers staked their claim to being “The World’s Best American Band” with an onslaught of good old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll. Here are five things that stood out from the set:
The Nude Party Starts Off Strong
Opener The Nude Party warmed up the crowd with some bluesy, rollicking rock tunes of their own, reminiscent of Bob Seger and The Rolling Stones in their swaggering style. “Astral Man” provided for a loose, heady jam. “Wild Coyote” was also a highlight of the set, from the Western-tinged opening guitar riff and maracas to bassist Alec Castillo howling at the top of his lungs at the end. The North Carolina rockers saved the best for last with the jaunty, keyboard-driven “Chevrolet Van”. Lead singer Patton Magee remarked how he liked performing this cut because it reminded him of the band’s roots and earned a cheer with the “I bummed a cigarette from a guy when I was in Manhattan last week” line to close out the performance.
Oldies But Goodies
When White Reaper emerged onstage, they actually dug into their first two records for the early portion of the set, with the high-flying “I Don’t Think She Cares” igniting the crowd from the get-go. The band matched the electric energy of the room throughout the blitz of their hour-long set. Keyboardist Ryan Hater and bassist Sam Wilkerson were especially dynamic, kicking and pogoing across the stage. Another highlight they played in the first half was their White Reaper Does It Again favorite “Sheila”. As Tony Esposito and Hunter Thompson dueled on guitar, a major mosh pit opened, buckling the floor as the crowd bounced along.
You Deserve Love
Of course, the band also shredded through some of their new tracks from the just-released You Deserve Love. The enormous guitar riffs that opened “Real Long Time” impressed, as did Esposito’s vocals on the (relatively) low-key “Might Be Right”. On the latter track, the crowd eagerly joined in for a big singalong.
Not “Half Bad” Closer
To wrap up the main portion of their set, the band froze in place, with Esposito in a crouch in front of the drum kit. Suddenly, all the band members leapt into action, unleashing their maelstrom of a track “Half Bad”. Over furious dueling guitar riffs and the crash of cymbals, a circle pit opened up in the middle of the floor. As the track reached its climax, all hell broke loose as the moshing filled the void.
The Encore
The band quickly returned to the stage, led by drummer Nick Wilkerson. “We don’t have to make you wait,” he said with a smile. After “Stack” and “You Deserve Love”, the band got the crowd moving once more with their hit “Judy French”. In a final burst of energy, the fans in the front roared along to all the words of the track. As the song reached its coda, Esposito, Thompson and Wilkerson all shimmied to the edge of the stage. With no barricade, a sea of outstretched hands surged forward, reaching for a brush with rock greatness.
