The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus rips the Student Center
By Kenneth Rosen
[rating:5/5]
Though Thursdays are regularly every student’s night out in Savannah, the April 7 performance by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus at the Student Center proved otherwise. And Ronnie Winter, the lead singer, made it clear from the start what the performance meant for him and the band.
“We’re here for you, you know that?” he shouted passionately over a dense crowd of more than 300 students in the packed venue.
And with that RJA rolled into “False Pretense,” a beloved track from their album “Don’t You Fake It.” For Ronnie, who’s been with the band since its inception in 2003, this was nothing more than a warm-up — a tribute to the band they once were and a nod to the band they’ve become.
After facing the loss of some band mates, Josh Burke, who began playing with RJA in July 2011, ripped seamlessly alongside Winter, Joey Westwood, Randy Winter and Tim Williams. A mid-set, heart-attack-inducing, behind-the-back solo had the crowd in the Student Center screaming in support of the newcomer.
He is just 18 years old.
With songs from their older albums, such as “False Pretense” and “Damn Regret,” the audience felt the ache of a new band on the rise from their hit single “Face Down.” Those “oldies” were precisely juxtaposed against newer tracks “Reap” and “Pen and Paper,” where Burke’s rifts tore past the glass dividers of the second floor balcony.
The Student Center, though not at full capacity, held an unreal energy, one that words wouldn’t justify. But seeing Williams break a cymbal leaves no room for any adjective.
Winter’s vocals remained nostalgic while refraining from the apathy apparent in bands who’ve been around just as long. And the maturity RJA displayed was a testament of a band with long-standing roots.
Their set list included an acoustic “Your Guardian Angel” as their second-to-last track just before the bolded question “ENCORE ????”
“One more song,” the crowd chanted. Without hesitation, the crowd got to bang their heads once more.
