Now this was a tremendous free concert held in Central Park, NYC, last month.
Soccer Mommy (aka Sophia Regina Allison) was headlining, but the stand out act for me was Hurray for the Riff Raff. who enthralled with their blend of Americana, folk, and folk-punk, interlaced with protest politics.
The concert was part of a series of events at the Summer Stage in Central Park.
Admission was free, but you couldn’t bring in your own booze so were compelled to use the fairly pricey bars and food stalls. Which is fair enough, because it’s a freebie, ya’ tightwad!
The day after, Wet Leg would headline a paid show, which we enjoyed too.
Hurray for the Riff Raff, played a fairly short set, with material mainly drawn from their most recent album, The Past Is Alive.’
The Americana Highways website posted up an excellent summary of the show:
Hurray for the Riff Raff continued the tradition by opening with “Alibi,” just as they have since 2023. It’s a perfect set starter, fierce and direct, a plea to a loved one struggling with addiction. The song sets the tone for accountability and survival.
From there the band leaned into “Dynamo” in which the energy translated beautifully live. Another highlight was “Rhododendron,” the lone selection from Life on Earth. Possibly because of time constraints there was an absence of older material.
Songs like “Pa’lante” or the early folk anthems, “St Roch Blues” and “Crash on the Highway” were absent. That said, the inclusion of “Pyramid Scheme,” a track released in February, provided a critique of the internet that resonated with a sense of urgency.
“Buffalo” was followed by “Snake Plant (The Past Is Still Alive)”. The set concluded with “Ogallala,” a sweeping closer that felt less like an ending and more like a parting vision.
Its layered soundscapes grew steadily, building toward the final crescendo. There’s something haunting, but also defiant to the track. It felt quietly anthemic for today’s world, reflective, rooted in themes of survival of our land, and carrying an urgency far beyond the stage.
Caught up in the enthusiasm of the crowd, I even found myself bellowing a very un-British ‘YEEEEAAH!’ mid song. Sorry about that.
I loved ’em so much, I’d say that they’re one of the best bands I’ve seen live in the last five years.
The crowd swelled considerably for the set by headliners, Soccer Mommy (I like the band but boy, that name is a stinker!).
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