Live music review: White Reaper rocked Scoot Inn Asking for a Ride tour stop
Louisville natives White Reaper rocked Scoot Inn on Tuesday, stopping in Austin in support of January release, Asking for a Ride. The record is perhaps the band’s best. That’s say something as their previous release produced their most popular song thus far, “Might Be Right.” The success of that album could have seen the lighthearted Kentucky rockers rest on their laurels. Instead the quintet dropped their best work last month.
Curiosity seekers arrived at the venue early to catch Taipei Houston which features Lars Ulrich’s (Metallica) sons performing as a dynamic two-piece on drums and bass. Our photographer Drew Doggett assessed their sound as, “…like Gilla band meets DFA 1979.” He’s not wrong. The band is talented and it’s easy to see their potential as the fledgling group formed in 2021 makes their way. Their debut, Once Bit Never Bored was released last year on C3 Records.
Houston-based hard rockers Narrow Head turned in a solid set next. A fan standing nearby mentioned they gave off Deftones vibes. The comparison isn’t far off. The band is lead by a Latino frontman in Jacob Duarte. Touring in support of their third LP, Moments of Clarity (Run For Cover Records) released this month, the five-piece seems poised to expand their fanbase significantly.
By the time White Reaper took the stage at 8:30 p.m. a fairly large audience had assembled at Scoot Inn which was impressive considering it was Tuesday evening and some other big out of town shows were happening. But the band has attracted a niche but extremely loyal following by staying true to their sound as they’ve become more successful.
White Reaper’s truly entertaining performance is one reason why their fans stay with them as the group attracts more rock n roll lovers to their ranks. The other is their penchant for staying true to their musical origins while stretching the boundaries of their sound. The band achieved this objective in producing their latest record which by all accounts, might be their best effort yet.
The band opened with the title track. Lead vocalist and guitarist, Tony Esposito at the center of the stage with members, Ryan Hater (keyboards) and Hunter Thompson (lead guitar) flanking him. Twin brothers, Nick (drums) and Sam Wilkerson (bass) held down the rhythm section deftly. One might consider the pair on stage with White Reaper a kind of not-so-secret sauce. They are so adept musically its easy to forget the level of skill it takes to play the mind-numbing combos Nick Wilkerson delivers on his drum kit or Thompson’s short but wicked guitar solos, Sam’s deft baselines or even Ryan Hater’s antics on keys, White Reaper are a tour sharpened band-army-knife of a rock n roll band with a great new record in hand. They’re hard not to like.
There were cheers for “Been a Long Time” three songs into the setlist as the band settled in for a 60 minute performance that ran the gamut of White Reaper’s catalog. Sam Wilkerson thanked fans for showing up on Valentine’s Day while his bandmates were chuckling at Esposito’s claim of swallowing his Wrigley’s mid-song, “I just swallowed a piece of gum! How romantic!”
Hater on keyboards may have been the group’s most animated performer, grabbing a fan’s mobile at one point from the girl standing at the photo pit barracuda and took it on stage to snap selfies. He then politely returned it to the young lady.
“Might Be Right” with its bouncy chorus brought out the video phones in earnest as White Reaper romped through the biggest hit from the commercially successful, You Deserve Love. It’s a great song that effectively brought fans’ focus back to the group’s musical dexterity and playful approach.
White Reaper finished a crowd-pleasing performance in East Austin with “Judy French” while fans bopped along to the music finishing an ideal evening of rock n roll in a venerable and appropriate venue.
All photos by Drew Doggett
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