Rae and the Ragdolls
January 6, 2024
Atlanta, GA
Eddies Attic
In 2022, Atlanta hippie jam band Rae and the Ragdolls popped up on my radar as, of all things, and Instagram ad. I looked at their photo, which was of five youngins decked out in their finest psychedelic hippie garb. My first thought was that either they were real-deal old souls or thrift shop posers trying way too hard with music that couldn’t back it up. I followed their link, and it took me to their Spotify page. Based on the title alone, I clicked on the song “Magic Hippie Bus.” By the time the first chorus kicked in, I knew these folks were the real deal.
Their latest album Sunshine in a Shadow, Vol. II quickly became a daily listen for and had me waxing nostalgic and remember the days and nights I can barely remember. Song after song, Rae and the Ragdolls, whisked me back to my early days of the 90s counter-cultural jam band movement. That was a magical time, a resurgence of peace, love, and VW buses that cost way more to maintain than they did to purchase. The sound and style of Rae and the Ragdolls can best be described as sweet goulash of influences such as the Allman Brothers Band, Tom Petty, and The Band. Add a pinch of ’60s/70s psychedelic rock such as Jefferson Airplane and Cold Blood for good measure, and you get Rae and the Ragdolls.
I could barely wait to see Rae and the Ragdolls live. I had no less than four opportunities to see them live, and each time, I was either out of town or sequestered in my studio, working on my own music. As 2023 came to a close and a move to a new state was closing in, I felt saddened that I had missed my chance. Luckily, the planets aligned, and they announced that they would be performing at Eddie’s Attic on January 6th. Ticket purchased and ready to go, I bolted to the venue and secured my spot in the near-capacity room.
Rae and the Ragdolls took the stage before a packed room, and after getting situated, lead vocalist Rae G. Biv announced, “Hello, everyone. We are Rae and the Ragdolls.” the room erupted. The band kicked things off with “Tip the Mystic” from their latest album, Sunshine in a Shadow, Vol. II and I cheered like a 12-year-old at a Beatles concert. “Sick” from Sunshine in a Shadow Vol. I followed, and then, without even a pause, they went into what I consider their “hit,” “Magic Hippie Bus.” At this point, my hands were out of my pockets, my eyes closed, and my feet moved. Boy, it felt good to dance like that again since I last did it earlier this summer at a run of Dead and Company shows.
Rae and the Ragdolls is a band born to be on a stage and shows. Vocalist Rae G. Biv has the charisma and performance level of someone who has been doing this for at least 20+ years. She dances, she smiles, and she doesn’t give a fuck, and this is what is so magnetic about her. The band is just as entertaining, animated, and fired up as she is, yet Rae manages to pass them, forcing them to catch up and match her energy. This created a vibe that made me feel like I was betting on a race. Put it all on Rae, baby!
“Rock N’ Roll Is A Woman ” was a fantastic display of girl power, and Rae and bassist Olivia were the personifications of this song, while “My Darling Eve” had the band hitting a downright nasty groove. Guitarists Willie and Spencer lay down that kind of stank that makes you bite your bottom lip and shake your head in approval, which leads me to address the fact that this band, as a whole, is a family.
“Moon Tipper” sounds like it came from a ganja-filled living room somewhere in Laurel Canyon. I closed my eyes and immersed myself in the song as they played. It was like a dream, and I felt like I was weightless. I heard a band of 20-somethings in my ears, but in my mind and heart, I was whisked back to my first experience as a 90s hippie jam band kid. This is the kind of music that made me fall in love with music all over again, and to get this feeling again 30 years later at 50 years old was pretty fucking heavy. ¾ of the way through the song, Rae had everyone singing along, “Shoo wah. Shoo wah. Shoo wah sha la la al…” I felt a tear run down my face that made me smile bigger than I’ve smiled in some time from listening to music.
The band’s hour-plus set also featured songs such as “Desert Song,” “Ten Pennies,” and a stellar “Houseful of Mirrors, then capped it off with the pre-encore cover of the Allman Brothers Band classic “Whipping Post.” They played a great, legendary song with their own flare and passion. I would’ve thought it was just another great Rae and the Ragdolls jam if I hadn’t known it was a cover. That’s not an easy feat for any artist to pull off, but the thought, the attention, and the respect for such a classic song came through as they presented it like their own work.
I was so moved and so musically smitten that by the closing note of their encore of “All I Wanna Do Is Love,” I knew I was seeing a new favorite band. While Rae and the Ragdolls had me feeling nostalgic, they still managed to keep my feet rooted in the now as they proved to me that not all truly great things are memories. In the case of Rae and the Ragdoll, they are a new memory that is being made for me, and that is pretty powerful stuff.
Watching Rae and the Ragdolls perform together, I saw five best friends who are each other’s “ride or die.” The apparent display of camaraderie and mutual admiration creates an infectious energy. The visual of Rae and the Ragdolls takes the experience of just hearing the songs to another plane. After watching Rae and the Ragdolls perform together when I listen to these songs, I feel more connected to them than before.
Rae and the Ragdolls are electrifying, fun, carefree, and everything we all want to be, no matter our life walk. Thank you, Rae and the Ragdolls, for creating yet another new journey for me. Whatever y’all are doing, keep doing it because you’re doing it right, and the people need you.
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