Concert Review: White Reaper Give An Energy Boost At Baby’s All Right

Memorial weekend has left me tired. This long weekend of fun, family, and friends is highly anticipated as a break from routine and an homage to our veterans. Coming back from the parades and parties, calls for an energy boost; one that White Reaper provided at Baby’s All Right.

Admittedly, I did not know what to expect from White Reaper. Both live and on record, their music plays to the strains and stresses of guitars and minds being pulled by foreign hands. The idea that someone else is pushing and prodding your personality is not “revolutionary” to rock n’ roll because it is in that notion the genre was founded. Thus, White Reaper relies on its own personality, particularly of lead singer Tony Esposito, to bring a refreshing sense of rebelliousness to rock. Esposito has to be one of the most entertaining front-men in the music industry. He plays his music with a bravado that appeals to the crowd. I know that saying someone is arrogant is not, necessarily, a compliment, and it should not be. Yet, what I reference is the blinding fearlessness that pushes Esposito to bend both his body and voice just to rile his crowd. He is the classic performer who is 100% about giving a riotous show, and has the musicianship to do so. Even writing that last statement makes me nostalgic for the days when artists did not rely on pyro-techno to light the stage as much as the fire in their spirit. When Esposito sang songs like “Judy French”, “Little Silver Cross”, and “I Don’t Think She Cares”, he grated, gridded, and gushed his voice like a wound that had gone beyond surgical aid. The result is a mesmerizing, adrenaline- fused performance that makes you feel as if White Reaper is playing its last concert, which is how you should treat every performance.

I am fascinated by front-men and women because, frankly, who has not dreamed of such a role, but Esposito, and White Reaper as a whole, understand the ultimate rule of fronting a band; treat every concert like it is your last. This “law” may seem dramatic because it is, but it is not in the morbid sense of “you can die tomorrow so live today.” It is in the powerful sense of relishing the crowd, music, and your own capacity to mold both according to your whim, which is why White Reaper is DEFINITELY an act to watch. They give a show, of which Esposito is the dynamite host, who understand that, when the lights hits stage, so does your best energy. Moreover, seeing people crowd surf in the tight squeeze of Baby’s All Right was an experience, in itself, and a badge of honor for White Reaper.  For More Information On White Reaper Click Here.