Welcome to the first installment of my music blogs! I'm thankful enough to have the opportunity to attend concerts in the Atlanta area, interview the artists and bring back tons of information to all of you! So, let's get started.
Saturday, July 31st, I was invited to go to The Masquerade to see Runner Runner perform on their nation-wide tour with Secondhand Serenade. The band makes up of vocalist Ryan Ogren, bassist Jon Berry, drummer James Ulrich and guitarists Nick Bailey and Peter Munters. Runner Runner may not be the most heard of band, but they are definitely no strangers to the scene. Not only have they all been in successful bands before (Rufio, anyone?), but they have already donated a track of theirs to the recent release of the ever popular Now albums. Their track, "So Obvious", can be found on iTunes for download, along with on Now 34.
I have to tell you, I was really impressed with these guys. I listened to a few tracks before I came out to the show to kind of gauge how their sound is supposed to...well, sound. And man, are they faithful to their recordings. Never a bad thing to mix things up live. Not at all. But with some bands, they capture such raw energy on recording and can't exactly deliver the same emotions live. Runner Runner had no issue of performing their hearts out and showing the audience why they were worth watching.
The songs play out in the same formula, a dance beat behind a lyric-page of heartbreak or desire. And you know, it works. It really does. The idea of a "dance beat" may sound negative, but it's not. It almost sounds like Runner Runner pulled everything good out of Metro Station (not a lot of that there) and perfected it behind pop rhythms. Every song has you standing on your feet and if not dancing, at least tapping your toes.
Vocalist Ryan Ogren is a force to be reckoned with. This guy came out onstage, grabbed the audience and wouldn't let go for 40 minutes. He has a cool attitude for the guys, and ladies, he's not a bad-looking dude. More importantly, Ogren is all about the music. You can tell his lyrics are really just his words from experience and he's sharing all of it with us. Yet, he's not afraid to have fun with it.
I also got the chance to interview Jon Berry, bassist of the band. Really cool guy, honest, appreciative. True signs of a great artist. Our interview will be up shortly after this entry. I could say more about these guys, but do I really need to? Talented, high-energy and ready to make you sing and dance, Runner Runner is here to stay. And I'll be there along with them.