The Rice Cakes’ popularity in their hometown of Providence, R.I. has been confirmed – they were named
best local band by the alternative weekly the Providence Phoenix.
Now they’re looking serve up their indie-punk-folk blend elsewhere and have discovered Bowling Green may
just be the Rice Cakes kind of place.
The band will be the special guests at the Hump Day Revue Wednesday at 9 p.m. at Grumpy Dave’s, , 104 S.
Main St. as part of the fledging band’s third tour.
This is not the band’s first visit to town. Last year they did a house concert for a friend of frontwoman
Roz Raskin. While in town they hit the bar scene including a stop at Howard’s. "We just met a bunch
of awesome townspeople, this crazy cast of characters," Raskin said talking by phone from
Providence. "We liked the overall vibe of the town and wanted to come back."
Liz Mason, the friend who invited them to town, works at Grumpy Dave’s and through her they hooked up
with Tim Concannon, the host and creator of the weekly Hump Day Revue.
Raskin said the band came together about five years ago in Providence. She was writing music and playing
on the scene when she met bassist Justin Foster and drummer Casey Belisle. Together they had
"really good chemistry," Raskin said. "That makes writing and playing and touring a
really positive experience."
At first the band worked as Roz Raskin and the Rice Cakes because she was providing most of the songs.
But as the band has developed, Foster and Belisle are contributing more to the writing, though Raskin
still provides most of the lyrics, though even her Belisle has been contributing. Each member
contributes elements to songs in progress. And that has changed the literary content as well. When
Raskin writing songs by herself they reflected her experience.
The change in the words, then also changes the underlying music. The harmonies, she said, should reflect
the words.
So now they’re simply The Rice Cakes.
The band’s central concern is concern for humanity. The Rice Cakes address religion, politics, a
pervasive sense of paranoia.
They strive to foster a "sense of community and understanding" among their listeners, Raskin
said.
"Human emotions can be so complicated, yet we all feel them on the same level." So the shows
become "almost like therapy."
Even the multi-generic tag of indie punk folk doesn’t quite capture the band’s sound. They blend a
variety of styles, layering electric piano and glockenspiel with guitar, bass and drums.
All the songs, regardless of the groove, Raskin said, "still have that Rice Cakes vibe to
them."