Photo: Courtesy Proud Larry’s.
A new sound born and bred in Mississippi is hitting Oxford tonight as Proud Larry’s hosts local band Light Beam Rider.
The band will perform alongside Wolf Cove, Bella Machine and a special guest.
Light Beam Rider’s members include Ole Miss student and lead vocalist Thomas Sweat on guitar, Jesse Sutton on bass guitar, Daniel Sowards on lead guitar and Ian Manus on drums. All members are native Mississippians from Corinth.
“We expect a wild and crazy performance,” Proud Larry’s owner Scott Caradine said.
Proud Larry’s will be the third stop on the band’s winter 2014 tour. A good turnout is expected for the show, which will also celebrate the birthday of Sweat.
Light Beam Rider is expecting a rowdy crowd to show up, which promises a good time. On the event’s Facebook page, Sweat gave a shoutout to fans, asking all to “keep spreading the word” about the event. “(Let’s) make it rowdy….” he added.
Ole Miss student Taylor Cook described Light Beam Rider’s sound as similar to that of Modest Mouse. He said it’s obvious that all members of the band are incredibly skilled in their respective instruments.
“Light Beam Rider is relatively drum-intensive,” Cook said. “They have two kinds of very different styles. One is very high-reverb melodic, sort of an indie feel. The other is more distorted-chords intensive, with a stronger screamed feel to the vocals, kind of rock and roll.”
The band’s first album, “Mississippi,” was recorded in the spring of 2012 and released in October of the same year. Their song lyrics deal with a wide range of themes, from the grief following the passing of friends to the easy pleasures of a good old-fashioned party.
The band will also be playing a few other tunes before the show starts. Sweat encourages all to come a little early to hang out before the show for some pre-show performances.
Light Beam Rider describes itself as alternative indie rock or into the post-rock genre. The band gained popularity in North Mississippi during its tour of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee last year, and continues to gain popularity both nationally and internationally. Light Beam Rider has grown significantly from the small project it started as in 2009, when Thomas Sweat recruited a few friends to go out and make some music together.
Tickets for the event are currently on sale on the Proud Larry’s website but may also be purchased at the door. Doors open at 8 p.m., with bands expected to perform from about 9 p.m. until 12:45 a.m.
More information on Light Beam Rider can be found on its Facebook page, and more information about the event is available on the Proud Larry’s website.
— McKenna Wierman
mckenna.weirman@yahoo.com
