Hurray for the Riff Raff Inspires at Mercy Lounge

Alynda Segarra and her group Hurray for the Riff Raff are making some of the best American music out there these days. When The Spin caught them at Mercy Lounge on Wednesday, they performed with the elastic precision of the most seasoned outfits and drew judiciously from a huge range of traditions, and even if we weren’t listening, we’d have had a good time. But most importantly, they use their platform to call for action to make the world a better place for people who don’t have the benefit of being part of the majority, and hearing that message in a packed house was a rejuvenating treat.

It was clear from the beginning that this was a tightly run ship. Backed by a crack band including Ellen Angelico on pedal steel and Sean Thompson and Ian Ferguson on guitars, Becca Mancari hit the downbeat at 8 p.m. on the dot for a crisp half-hour set that spread out its country roots to cover a lot of ground. Mancari and her band's sonic palette draws a bit from Bakersfield country, but also shows off a subtle lean toward the cosmic, which we especially enjoyed in the instrumental section of “Arizona Fire.” Side note: We’re really looking forward to her debut album, whenever that’s ready.

That’s not to say the set didn’t have plenty of bite. A cover of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s “Ohio” featured guitar solos that were appropriately on the brink of coming unhinged as well as a delivery from Mancari that captured the anger of the original — not to mention sadness that a protest anthem about murder of citizens by government officials still feels relevant.

Ron Gallo and his band offered further proof that the power trio will never get old and that rock ’n’ roll doesn’t have to age into obscurity, either. You just need songs that take an honest look at how you see contemporary society functioning and offer unflinching criticism when appropriate — all without turning into a dry homily. It’s a tricky balance, but Gallo & Co. do it very well.

Over a snarling, thundering bed of sound, the group played tunes from their great recent long-player Heavy Meta, plus a couple verses from Des’ree’s “You Gotta Be.” There were also some new numbers, including a heavy-psych-tinged tune called “Entitled Man, Keep Your Hands Down Your Pants,” which, as you might expect, calls out dudes who think that women owe them something. Later came “You Are the Problem,” which is all about channeling the frustration and hopelessness that many people feel right now into action by taking responsibility, no matter how uncomfortable it makes you feel.

A few minutes later, the lights went down and Nina Simone’s “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free” came over the PA, followed by Hurray for the Riff Raff sporting “Ain’t Afraid” T-shirts — proceeds from the sales of those are going to help Jessi Zazu from Those Darlins (who Segarra saluted as an inspiration) battle cancer. HFTRR rocked their way through more than an hour of cuts about giving respect and dignity to the underrepresented, from earlier cuts like their standout 2014 single “The Body Electric” — a cry for justice for a murder — to tunes like “Rican Beach” and “Pa’lante” from their new album The Navigator. The songs stem from Segarra learning about her Puerto Rican heritage and encourage listeners to seek strength in the diverse array of cultures that made them who they are.

There were sing-alongs and guest appearances from members of the opening acts, including a rollicking “Living in the City” with Ron Gallo on a comically large pair of drumsticks, and an all-hands-on-deck rendition of John Lennon’s “Bring on the Lucie (Freeda People)” introduced as an open letter to Donald Trump.

But as we headed out, the thing that stuck with us the most was what Segarra said when she paused to address the banner hanging behind the band, which read, “WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.”

“I want to say that if we’re going to move forward, we’ve got to do it all together,” she said. “We can’t leave anybody behind. We can’t let anybody divide us, because when we’re divided, we’re conquered. I think we know that by now. Now this sign that we’re taking all over the country ... this does not mean everything’s fucking OK and we can all chill. This means we got a lot of fuckin’ work to do, and we gotta look out for each other.”

See our slideshow for more photos from the show.

In The Spin — the Scene’s live-review column — staffers and freelance contributors review concerts under a collective byline.