RNDM Live at the Gramercy Theater in New York City

Alyssa Fried March 9th, 2016 - 5:51 PM

RNDM is more than a side-project. Currently on tour in support of their second album, Ghost Riding, RNDM is comprised of singer-guitarist Joseph Arthur, the Fastbacks’ Richard Stuverud on drums, and Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament. Band members have been emphatic about their commitment to the work, and it’s clear in the music. Not sounding much like any of their other projects, RNDM blends parts of funk, soul, and punk into melodic rock and ballads. With two albums under their belt, the band is pretty tight, winding their way through multiple parts and movements in a single song.

The New York audience was warm and welcoming, most already fans of the individual band members’ other work, and many familiar with RNDM’s own songs. Arthur teased the audience for not showing enough love – for being too New York, too cool to have fun – but was entertaining and charming as a frontman. Ament spent his time establishing the groove, driving songs forward almost as much as Stuverud on drums. He also assisted a few ballads on the keyboards, and an orange-masked guest came onstage to cover the bass line for one song. Stuverud is a force behind the kit, enjoying himself and reveling in a bag of tricks full of mallets, maracas, and goodness knows what else.

RNDM has a few more dates in March before their other commitments snatch Arthur, Ament, and Stuverud away.