It was March 15 when Ra Ra Riot came back to St. Louis to play at the Firebird.

The Firebird itself was small, but a sense of joy filled the venue. People had come out on a Tuesday night at 9 p.m. simply because they were excited to see this show.

Pomegranates, the opening band, came out and automatically started playing an upbeat song and their music was incredibly interesting.

 The drummer seemed to jump as he played with the most energy I think I have ever seen. The rest of the band switched from instrument to instrument as all of them were able to play keyboard, bass and guitar.

Everyone but the drummer sang. The two main singers were opposite ends of the singing spectrum as one had an extremely high voice and the other had a pure, more typical male voice. Their harmonies were extremely impressive.

Because of the energy they created, and because of their classic indie-rock sound, they were really a perfect opening band for Ra Ra Riot.

Ra Ra Riot came out on stage. The jam-packed Firebird yelled and screamed. They went right into a song, and everyone started dancing.

The drummer took simplistic beats and flawless added fills and pauses that made him extremely impressive. The lead singer had an incredible range and was able to sing very high and clear for a man. The bassist held the melody for many of the songs, making him one of the most interesting bassists I’ve ever seen in a band.

I can’t say the guitarist did anything that appealing, but no matter, everything else made up for it.

The two women in the band were a violinist and a cellist. Both of them had perfect pitch and rich tones. They played in every song and were what made the music incredibly dynamic. The cellist also sang with an enchanting, quiet voice that captivated me.

Ra Ra Riot sounded even better live than on their albums, and the energy they brought made the night amazingly fun.

It was a really, really good show. It went way beyond my expectations, and in the future I would love to see them again.