North Carolina is now my home, and so it is my duty as a faithful citizen to explore each and every part of it.  I've explored Asheville to a degree, and ventured to Charlotte and to Durham, but I have yet to really dive into the culture of the state capital -- Raleigh.  I'll be there for a whole weekend in September for Hopscotch Fest, and as a little preview for myself, I wandered out that way last weekend to catch one of music's most profoundly mellow and evocative band's Baltimore's Beach House.  They played at one of The Triangle's most well-known venues -- The Ritz -- which was just bought out by Live Nation a few years ago.  Did its new corporate leaders destroy the famous venue, or did they save it?  Well, I went to found out, and got to see a hell of a show in the process.

The Ritz's simple, boxey exterior.

The venue:  The Ritz is a private club, meaning you have to be a member to enjoy the events that they put on.  Membership is easy to obtain – membership is “open to all who share interest in great music and live performance” – and purchasing a ticket to any of their shows will get you a membership card (they say that you must present your membership card – one per party; printed or on your phone – in addition to your actual tickets to get into the venue, but at security we were not asked to do so).  Opened in the 70s, The Ritz went from being a disco to an independent rock club in the 80s, adding a little much needed leather-studded flavor and carefree attitude to the famously posh, prim, and proper images the word “Ritz” often conjures.  Over the past several decades it has become somewhat of a staple in North Carolina’s growing art scene, its name synonymous with independent music in the area.  When it was bought out by House of Blues (which is part of Live Nation) in 2014, it underwent a $1 million renovation and put itself on the map as a premier live music destination in the Triangle (for those who don’t know, the Research Triangle – or simply “The Triangle” – is a widely-used name for the Raleigh-Durham metropolitan area, derived from the shape made by the three major universities of the region – Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill & NC State University).  The great thing about the Ritz is that it doesn’t feel like a standard, corporate-run venue; probably due to its roots as a mom-n-pop local club.  After parking at the neighboring lot down the block (flat fee of $7 for every event), we could hear that Beach House was onstage as we walked towards the club’s bulky exterior.  This put some of my earlier fears at ease, as I was aware that in its older days, the acoustics and overall quality of the sound left much to be desired, but as I could clearly hear the tune of “Wild” from the outside maybe a hundred yards away was a good sign.  The sound was incredible, as was the overall experience at the Ritz.  It was clean, it was comfortable, it sounded amazing, and it wasn’t too expensive – so already it satisfies my four basic requirements needed to enjoy an indoor music venue.  “This room feels really good,” remarked singer Victoria Legrand between songs early in the set, and if the artists feel good, you know you’re in for a good night.

The highs:

• THE SOUND: The sound was just fantastic.  Every drone vibrated just as it should.  Every lyrics was absorbed.  Every watery note of Alex Scally’s guitar felt like soapy sonic bubbles that exploded around my ears.  Even from the bathrooms and the patio outside, the music sounded appropriately muffled, but in such a way that it all was clear.  Apparently this was Live Nation’s #1 priority during their renovation of the space, as it was also the #1 complaint among past patrons of the Ritz.  I am still amazed at not only the quality of the sound, but also the sheer volume.  It was SO LOUD, you guys.  I was basically deaf.  AFTER A BEACH HOUSE SHOW.  So awesome. 
  

  Cute outdoor patio for fresh air breaks.

• THE OVERALL COMFORT: Another major complaint about the Ritz’s condition pre-buyout had much to do with the basic creature comforts that, when neglected or ignored, often carry enough significance to make audience members very unhappy.  These include (but are not limited to): temperature, seating options, crowdedness, food/drink availability, smoking, etc.  I could see how, other than sound, temperature could be an issue when dealing with a venue that’s still rather small while housing about 2500 people in the dead of summer after its metal box-like structure had been roasting in the 95° sunlight all day.    But with big corporate money comes big corporate privilege, and so Live Nation did exactly what you’d expect them to do – they threw money at the problem.  And sometimes money is all it takes, apparently, as the temperature was perfect thanks to their improved HVAC system; security was quick and efficient getting in but still provided enough presence for the guests to feel safe; there was even a patio accessible from the rear of the theatre (between two of the venue’s five downstairs bars) for those requiring fresh air or a fresh dose of nicotine (and it was pretty!).  I should also note that the show was sold-out but didn’t feel as such.  When Live Nation bought the venue back in 2014, they decreased its capacity from about 2400 down to about 2000, so even at a sold-out show, there was still hypothetically room for about 300-400 more people, but instead attendees were given the beautiful gift of personal space.  It was so easy to move around the theatre at my leisure, whether to grab a drink or go to the bathroom or check out the merch, or even just to get a slightly different vantage point to see the band.  I didn’t care to bury myself in the crowd and push my way up front – that would’ve required major effort (and better planning), so I was content back near the patio doorway as it was close to all the creature comforts I desired – including an A/C vent right above my head…which, for someone that constantly feels like he is sunbathing on the equator, is a big ole plus.

• THE PARKING: There are dedicated parking lots for this venue, which for the city mouse I am (or used to be, I should say) is un-freakin-believable.  I’m so used to either endlessly tracing zig-zags around the neighborhoods of music venues or surrendering to my terrible parking karma and leaving my car a good 10-15 minute walk from the place.  This place has multiple parking lots next to the venue that gradually fill as more people arrive (duh), and even though we were some of the last to arrive, we were put in a spot in a lot that had the venue within earshot and was clearly visible.  The downside?  The seven-dollar charge, which isn’t terrible, and you can pay with a card, but still, paying for parking sucks.  On the other hand, so does looking for parking for 3209481 hours and missing the show you went out to see in the first place.  Personally, I’ll always choose the former.

• THE WATER: Water, water everywhere!  Seriously, I saw at least a half-dozen coolers full of ice cold water (with cups!) that was free and available to all.  I LOOOOOOVE when venues do this.  Because again my brain thinks that everywhere is the Sahara so I’m very happy when I know that hydration is not only available, it is close at hand and it is FREE.

• THE BAND: Well, DUH the band was amazing.  It was friggin Beach House.  Victoria Legrand’s voice will make any person melt, so pair that with her own instrumentation PLUS Alex Scally’s milky guitar and you’ve got a recipe for some of the most beautiful music you will ever hear.  I’ve seen them at least five times by this point and I have wept at every single show of theirs I have attended (usually around the time “Myth” comes on because oh. My. GOD Is that song beautiful).  I mentioned also how loud they were this time around – which is at the same time both odd and yet oddly fitting for this band, because they are known for such peaceful, dreamy music, yet with their past three albums or so they have ventured into this droney, more noise-driven sound…which totally works with their aesthetic and can be worked into their older material in very interesting ways.  Plus, the live verson of “Lemon Glow” is just amazing.

The lows:  Very few!  So few that I don’t think I can even bullet this list and elaborate too much.  I wish that the drink prices were lower (I mean, who doesn’t; the cheapest thing was like $7-8, and that people were a little quieter near the back and by the bars.  Oh, and I wanted to know what the upstairs VIP area looked like and they wouldn’t let me take a peek.  But seriously…that’s it.  It was a pretty perfect evening.

THE FINAL WORD:  Great band.  Excellent venue.  Well worth the trip and worth every penny.  But maybe next time I’ll Uber to avoid that pesky parking fee.  After all, seven dollars saved is…well…it’s a cheap beer inside the venue.  I definitely recommend checking this place out – just don’t forget your membership card and arrive early if you want a spot closer to the action (but far away from the smoking patio!)