Daily Skiff

No flashy lights or big fuss. There was a small crowd, good music and an entertaining night at Lola's on Sunday as The Redwalls crooned their songs from past and present albums.

Dressed in their skinny jeans, tight jackets and mop-styled hair, brothers Logan and Justin Baren took over the stage along with Rob Jensen with oomph despite guitarist Andrew Langer leaving the band this year. But Justin Baren quickly introduced the crowd to their new member.

"I can't wait to see you in Texas," wrote Justin Baren on the band's MySpace blog, and it seemed Fort Worth fans' wait for the band's performance came to a good end. Sipping beer and smoking cigarettes, the crowd shook and sang along the open space where a hundred other people would have fit had the show been sold out.

In their last performance in the U.S. before they leave for their European tour, this Chicago-based indie band - inspired primarily from the Beatles and other British Invasion bands - rocked the house for an hour. The Baren brothers switched vocals during the songs, singing their well-known and not-so-popular songs, all of which were pumped with highly energized guitar and drum.

"Game of Love," from their third self-titled album released last October, was a crowd pleaser. A song about breaking up and trying to patch up the relationship, the Baren brothers render their vocals with a pitch that you want to mimic.

Other songs The Redwalls lined up for the evening were "Colorful Revolution," from their first album "Universal Blues," and "Build a Bridge" from their second album "De Nova." An avid music listener can tell that "Colorful Revolution" is highly influenced from The Beatles' style of music

During the band's performance, there wasn't much interaction with the audience. While Justin Baren made some comments about the band, its shows and Texas, other members focused primarily on their performance.

None of the band members encouraged the audience to sing along or constantly repeated the clichéd question, "Are you having a good time?" Maybe because they saw their fans were at the venue for them, enjoying the show. And though it was only two days before Election Day, political statements were far from the stage and floor.

Another good thing about this show was the opening band for The Redwalls, the Lifters. This five-member, local band from Fort Worth warmed up the audience for 45 minutes, showcasing its musical aptitude, which paid off. The audience applauded for its songs like "This Is" and "Drugstore." They made the wait for The Redwalls worthwhile.

The Redwalls performed a good gig with a lot of liveliness. Although the venue was small and the crowd relatively small and young, the show was worth every dollar and drinks.

The $10 cover charge for the show seemed fairly low for show The Redwalls put on. It was indeed paying less for getting more. It might be a while for The Redwalls to come back to Fort Worth or Texas, but I'll be looking forward to its next performance.

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