THE DOLLYROTS

SORAIA

The Dollyrots have been around for a good long while (2003?) and I have kind of always wanted to see them.  Soraia is a band from Philadelphia that is very high on my list and I more than kind of wanted to see them—in fact, I’ve been really hoping to get the chance for about four years now, since they released their 2020 record called Dig Your Roots.  Soraia followed that up with Bloom in 2023, and it is superb as well.  So, when my wife and I saw that the two bands would playing together in Richmond, VA, it was a no-brainer to buy tickets and book a hotel room.  The bands are labelmates on Little Steven’s Wicked Cool Records.  The show was at a new venue, one we had never been to, so we got VIP tickets to ensure a table and looked forward to a new experience.  It turned out to be great.

The venue is called The Ember Music Hall and it is located right on Broad Street, which is the major thoroughfare through Richmond.  We could easily walk it from our hotel, so after a nice dinner we got to the club right at doors, 7:00 p.m.  Upon entering, I liked what I saw.  The club was rather long and narrow.  There was a decent sized stage and only about 30 feet separated it from a raised platform with tables on the opposite side (not opposite end) of the narrow space.  The tables were VIP-reserved and we got one directly in front of the stage.  We ordered a beer and a glass of wine and sat back to take it all in.  From what I could tell, it seemed like the lighting and sound were going to be pretty damn good.

At 8:00 p.m. a local band called Safesex came on and played the first set of the night.  They had a female vocalist who had a pretty good set of pipes and sax player that was great.  The music was original, which I give them credit for, but the vibe was kind of funky if I had to describe it.  Not my kind of sound, and not a good fit for the evening’s main attractions.  After they wrapped up it didn’t take long for Soraia to hit the stage.  I headed down front because the crowd was sparse, and I could get right to the front of the stage.  Soraia’s lead singer and lyricist is named Zou Zou Mansour.  (editor's note; Really, JCE?  The young lady in question's given name is Zou Zou Mansour? I think the Pencil Storm readership is gonna need some birth certificate clarification here.) She was dynamic right from the start.  They kicked off with one of their older songs, a favorite of mine called “Monster” from the album Dead Reckoning.  They never slowed down and played a number of songs that I really had hoped the set would include, but sadly, there were many songs I expected but did not get.  That’s not because they played anything I didn’t really care to hear, but rather, they played for such a short time.  I had really hoped this gig would be like a co-headlining kind of thing, but unfortunately, Soraia was the opener and their allotted time on stage was minimal.  Highlights for me were “I Seek Fire,” “Tight Lipped,” “Strutter” (KISS cover) and the set closer, “Je Ne Sais Quoi,” also from Dead Reckoning.  At the end of the set, I picked up a set-list, and I was happy, but I wanted more.  Much more.

Soraia at Ember Music Hall 07-25-2024, set-list and signed record

I returned to our table for a bit, and then decided to visit the merch table.  Zou Zou was there, so I got a chance to chat with her, grab a photo and get a vinyl copy of Bloom signed.  She was kind to the handful of fans that were there.  The Dollyrots hit the stage not too long after that.  If you’re not familiar, the band is made up of a husband & wife team, Kelly Ogden on bass & vocals and Luis Cabezas on guitar.  Simon Hancock played drums to complete the three-piece band.  Kelly has a sassy kind of voice, and they play some great pop-punk songs with a little attitude.  They have something like nine full-length records and if I’m being honest, a lot of it sounds the same, but it’s all great.  Unfortunately, on this night, Kelly’s vocals were being drowned out by the guitar.  I’m not sure why they couldn’t get that fixed, because Soraia sounded amazing.  I watched some of the set from our table and then moved up closer for some of it as well.  They hit some highlights for me, including the songs “My Best Friend’s Hot,” “Brand New Key” (Melanie cover) and “Because I’m Awesome.”  I was hoping for a tune called “Animal,” but it was not in the set.

The Dollyrots as seen from our VIP table

Kelly Ogden, Dollyrots

Bottom line, two good bands and a great new venue made for a great night of rock n roll tempered only by a set that was too short, and some slightly muddled vocals.  But I’m not complaining…..

 JCE, or John to his friends, was born in the Nation’s Capital and grew up in the VA suburbs of D.C.  He just turned 60 years old, he has a wife of 32 years, and a grown daughter.  He leads a bit of a double life, working by day as the chief administrative officer of a VA county, and spending as many nights as possible listening to live rock n roll with his wife at any club that has a decent band within 100 miles or so of their house (and sometimes further).