SXSW Live Shots

Rite Flyers

Club DeVille, Wednesday, March 17 Drummer Terri Lord fought crosstown traffic after her appearance at the Austin Music Awards, so this gig got a late start. But the Rite Flyers made the most of it with a fervent blast of melodic rock. One of Austin's newer bands, the Rite Flyers are nevertheless a veteran band, led by Steve Collier and John Clayton whose combined past includes stints in local faves Doctor's Mob, Balloonatic, and the Sidehackers. Together they blend their voices and an abundant array of influences into a solid, if slightly undistinguished, brand of power pop. That meant throughout the set one could pick out blasts from the past à la the Beatles, Cheap Trick, Television, XTC, the Cure, and the Pixies. Exactly what the Rite Flyers sound like, however, was left unanswered. True to the spirit of their chosen format, Collier and Clayton kept most every song short and relatively noodle free, and in the relatively brief showcase format, this served them well. Never staying in one place for long demonstrated their bevy of ideas, even if some were more like incomplete thoughts than others. One of the more successful tunes featured angular riffs and tangled guitar interplay that was inspired. Sadly, the good-sized crowd was never really drawn in, so the Rite Flyers may need a few more gigs together to put all their pieces into a more cogent whole.