SF post-punk trio Rip Room plays Thee Stork Club in Oakland
Veteran San Francisco post-punk trio Rip Room plays an early show at Thee Stork Club Saturday, sharing the stage with Japanese band Usagi Bunny Boy and local dance-punk freaks Vivian Panache.
Founded by guitarist John Reed, bassist Sarah McKinney and original drummer Joe Barker, the group mixed elements of angular math rock, propulsive post-punk grooves and terse, surf-tinged guitar when they entered Louder Studios to record with noted producer/engineer Tim Green (Sleater-Kinny, Melvins, Howlin Rain, Six Organs of Admittance) for the band's bracing eponymous self-released EP issued in 2016.
The trio followed up with a second EP entitled Monsters the following year, again teaming with Green at Louder to track another salvo of snarling, bass-driven tunes. Barker would depart after that recording, with Gracie Malley stepping in as the band's new drummer and completing the current line-up. While it would be a number of years before the band would finally release a follow-up recording, Rip Room continued to play regular gigs around the Bay Area, establishing themselves as notable post-punk players on the San Francisco scene.
Downtime during the pandemic gave Rip Room a chance to record its latest collection of art-punk anthems entitled Alight and Resound for Spartan Records. Once again recording with Green (who also plays on the effort), the new album at points recalls Gang of Four, Devo and SF '80s jazz-punks the Rhythm Pigs on such enervating tunes as "Complicated" and "Worth Repeating." In addition to playing the 30th anniversary Noise Pop Festival in San Francisco and the Sled Island Music and Arts Festival in Calgary last year, the band embarked on an extensive 10-date tour of Japan in the fall.
For this early show at Thee Stork Club in Oakland Saturday put on by Talent Moat, Rip Room is joined by quirky Japanese art-pop outfit Usagi Bunny Boy and SF dance-rockers Vivian Panache.
Rip Room with Usagi Bunny Boy and Vivian Panache
Saturday, April 6, 5 p.m. $10
Thee Stork Club