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Life & Arts

High-energy show delights Bandits fans

by RUTHIE RODRIGUEZ
THE DAILY COUGAR

Fans witnessed Rx Bandits' strongest Houston performance along with opening bands DESA and Men, Women, and Children on Thursday night at Warehouse Live. 

Rx Bandits started out playing third-wave ska in Seal Beach, Calif. They released their first album, Halfway Between Here and There, in 1999 on Drive-Thru Records.

Ska, a form of Jamaican music originating in the 1930s essentially as dance music, is a mixture of jazz, r&b, blues and Jamaican folk music. It later contributed to the sounds of reggae and rocksteady. 

Third-wave ska, coming out as early as the 1990s with bands like Reel Big Fish and Catch 22, is performed with an upbeat horn section and predictable guitar riffs for skanking (dancing) fans. 

Over seven years and four albums, Rx Bandits have made a transition from their third-wave ska roots into a more unique style of music as they experiment with elements of reggae, jazz and rock.

Rx Bandits give off lots of energy during their shows during the softest solos and the loudest moments when the whole band is performing. They thrive on their ability to perform their songs with each member equally invested in the organic flow of the music.

Fans who have seen the band perform live multiple times are left to wonder how they manage to exhibit such passion on stage. 

"Music is the only thing that I can say that I've truly loved," Matthew Embree, Rx Bandits lead vocalist, said. "Something that I've consistently wanted."

The opening set started with "Sell you Beautiful," a song from their album The Resignation, which was recorded live in 2003. Multi-instrumentalists Steven Borth II (saxophone and keyboards), Steve Choi (guitar and keyboards) and Christopher Sheets (trombone and percussion) provide the diverse sound of such energetic songs. Drummer Christopher Tsagakis presents a syncopated rhythm as a foundation for the melodic riffs by bass guitarist Joseph Troy. Guitarists Choi and Embree also perform in syncopation while Borth II and Sheets harmonize with jazzy undertones. 

Embree shares his poetic satire about materialism and consumerism while Rx Bandits' fans sang along with every word: "Baby, you know if you're not beautiful / Just cover it up / With make-up kits and perforated scalpel seams / We'll do you right up / I'm so obsessed with looking like celebrities / Make myself throw up / But it's all right cause one day / I know I'll be fine like everyone else."

The only downfall after finishing the first set was they that they didn't play more music, but ended on a good note with an awe-inspiring encore starting with "Overcome (The Recapitulation)," which stresses the idea of the positive being able to overcome the negative in any situation. 

The progressive lyrics were sung by fans throughout the venue, "We've had enough of these politicians' wars, what we need right now is love." Rx Bandits didn't play much of their older stuff, but they did manage to play a few songs from their new album … And the Battle Begun, which was released by Mash Down Babylon Recordings, the band's new independent record label. The CD is now available for pre-order at www.rxbandits.com. Don't hesitate to check it out if you're in search of something new and interesting.

Rx Bandits

@ Warehouse Live
Verdict: Bandits leave nothing to be desired.

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