Athens bands The Ridges, Columbus band Indigo Wild, and Akron’s Shivering Timbers set to play Casa on Saturday at 10 p.m.
Homecoming weekend is a time of merriment, kegs and eggs and all-around good fun. This year is no different, and The Ridges, a band originally from Athens, is set to augment the annual bonanza with their darkly melodic folk rock.
“The name comes from the asylum,” said guitarist Victor Rasgaitis. “The building itself is analogous to our sound, because it’s this classically built piece of architecture plopped down in the Midwest. We use classical influences to create orchestral folk music, with a feeling that’s eerie but hauntingly beautiful.”
The band is set to play Casa Nueva, 6 W. State St., on Saturday along with Columbus-based Indigo Wild and Akron band Shivering Timbers. The show starts at 10 p.m. with a cover of $5.
The Ridges is fresh off a tour with acclaimed indie violinist Kishi Bashi, known for his work with Of Montreal. The Ridges is currently working on an album, but has been taking time in recent months to focus on touring.
Its ensemble is eclectic and includes a cast of rotating members and instrumentation including a banjo, upright bass and cello. Rasgaitis said the cello, played by Talor Smith, is the driving force behind the Ridges’ symphonic folk sound.
Indigo Wild is a Columbus-based band comprised of guitarists and vocalists Garet Camella and Michael Norris, bassist Chris Carter and drummer Jason Winner. The group’s sound is atmospheric, energetic and danceable. The band has plans to record in the winter months after an upcoming string of live shows.
“For us, it's all about packing into a room, making friends, distancing yourself from the mundane anxieties of the day-to-day and feeling something real,” said Camella. “We’ve been playing Athens since becoming a band, and things always get a little out of hand in the best way possible. Athens always shows us a good time, and we intend to return the favor.”
Rasgaitis, an OU journalism alumnus, said the band is extremely excited for the show, and that it will truly feel like a “homecoming” for its members, many of whom are OU alumni or current students with strong ties to Athens.
“Honestly, we can’t wait,” Rasagaitis said. “Shivering Timbers is very awesome, and Indigo Wild is pretty much the best band in the world. They’re also our good friends who we haven’t played with enough recently, it’s just been too long since we’ve seen them. We want it to be a party, we want people to have fun, get sweaty and dance with us — just how it should be.”
Sn002310@ohio.edu
