A NIGHT WITH RAFFELLA
BY EJ JOLLY Part record store, part cafe, part music venue (there seems to be a pattern going on in DC!), Songbyrd Music House has a long running history of promoting eclectic music. Their previous location was on the site of the iconic jazz club Showboat Lounge, whose resident artist Charlie Byrd is likely the namesake for our modern day equivalent. Rising star Raffaella captivated DC in much the same way this past week. Opening for her was fellow Minnesota based band Why Not, who are quickly cementing themselves in the midwest indie scene.
Changing backdrops from live concert footage of Kiss to a VHS rip of Dragon Tales, Raffaella took the stage. This tour was to promote her latest EP, LIVE, RAFF, LOVE (Act II), a collection of tracks exploring themes of complicated relationships with the self and others interspersed with millennial nostalgia. Her voice rose above the rest of the music, buoyant and airy, as she danced under the fairy lights. She even took a BeReal for a member of the audience, though not without some difficulty. All in all, nestled in a cozy space like Songbyrd, it felt like we were right at home enjoying time with a friend.
