Full disclosure, I wasn’t super familiar with The Aces when I asked my friend if she wanted to go see them in concert Friday night. I had heard a few singles on Sirius XM and knew they’d gotten a fair amount of buzz in the past, but I never really explored them any further. But, when you’re tasked with some time off and no big trip planned, you make your own fun.
This tour was very estrogen driven. I say that because all three acts for the night were comprised of only females. It was cool! As someone who doesn’t usually listen to female led bands all that much, it made for a surprisingly pleasant evening. The crowd wasn’t there to push anyone around or be ridiculous. Instead, most it seemed just wanted to dance and support these women who rock hard. Watching from near the back of the venue, it was fun to see and really just gave the evening a chill atmosphere.
Opening band, Sawyer, were quirky and fun, regularly engaging with the crowd and getting some serious cheers when the duo debuted some new tunes. They even did a great cover of The Killers. That really got the crowd amped, but they cheered even louder when they busted out a dance a la TikTok in the middle of a song. The duo seemed to be having a blast and that reflected itself nicely in the crowd. The second opener of the night was a Toronto based band that has been in the biz since 2011, The Beaches. Honestly this band surprised the heck out of me! They rocked pretty hard and were so entertaining! A five-piece, they made their music loud and catchy. I was a big fan of how they ended the set, with two very fast and deafening songs, “Money” and “Late Show.” These girls seriously impressed me and I will be checking them out more in the future.
Finally, when The Aces graced the stage it was with roaring screams from the crowd and a blinding light display behind drummer, Alisa Ramirez. They wasted no time and managed to buzz through almost five songs in ten minutes. That didn’t really come as a surprise to me though, as when I was listening to some more of their work the other day, I found that they had some really short songs. They also didn’t do a lot of talking in between songs, which I sort of appreciated. They had a nice mix of tracks from their two full-length efforts, the most recent of which came out last year. I personally really enjoyed “801” and “Volcanic Love,” but I can’t deny how hyped the crowd got for “My Phone is Trying to Kill Me.” With a band consisting of queer members, it’s clear their fans were there to support and also be supported, which I think they managed to accomplish.
Aside from the excellent display of live musicianship, I wanted to comment a little more on The Aces. In listening to them more the few days prior to the show, I found myself starting off with their latest release, Under My Influence, which had a bit of a manufactured pop vibe to it. Some of the beats sounded pre-recorded, but Cristal Ramirez’s vocals shined through. After listening to some of those tracks, I decided to go backwards in their catalog to see if it was more of the same. It was indeed quite different! I immediately thought they sounded like the female version of Bad Suns, but as I kept going, they also brought to mind Walk the Moon. All in all, these girls are very talented and have the fans to prove it. They do have the chops, too. Another thing I was really impressed with was guitarist, Katie Henderson, her back-up vocals were beautiful.
For not really knowing what to expect with this show, it was a pretty fun time. I got to hear talented women rock the stage, and also find some new music to listen to! I’d say if you are a fan of any of these bands, you definitely don’t want to miss out on them if they come around your way.