Girl at the Rock Shows

Billy Raffoul is one of those musicians who isn’t quite my standard go to as far as what I listen but is also one of those acts that, the second he announces a show in town, I drop everything, clear my schedule, and make it happen. Ever since I saw him open for ZZ Ward back in February of 2018, I have been low-key obsessed with this man. It’s not his music that does it for me (although it is good) but if you like a more indie singer-songwriter style, it will do it for you– it’s more his live show. There’s just something about it that has me hooked so I walked into The Turf Club on Monday with bells and whistles on, ready to experience the magic that is Billy Raffoul.

Before Billy took the stage, The Turf Club was presented two chill but stellar opening acts starting with The Indiana Drones. You think that’s a band, don’t you? Well, it’s not. The Indiana Drones is actually the solo project of Justin Zuccato. He explained to the audience that he picked the name because he really like the Indiana Jones movies and wanted the name to feel like it was a full band because his recorded tracks just do not feel like that of a solo musician. He ended this story of coming up with his “band” name by saying, “And now I’m stuck with a really stupid band name.” This statement got a roar of laughter from the modest but mighty audience who had made the right choice and showed up early to the stage. Why am I telling you about this super small snippet from The Indiana Drones’ set? Because it set the tone for the night perfectly. It was intimate and honest with laughter and emotion scattered throughout the night. Sure, we were watching touring musicians (all who happened to be from Canada) perform in front of us but it felt so much more special than that and I felt that Justin’s story about the “band” name really just helped people cozy into the night.

I really liked The Indiana Drones’ sound. It was definitely indie singer-songwriter feeling like the next two musicians who would take the stage but I heard a little spark of angst and punk-influence throughout the quick set. This all made sense as Justin told the audience about his punk album called ‘Fat Elvis Period’ (which, if you have a minute, is definitely worth a listen). “If you’ve heard anything from Green Day, you don’t have to listen to this,” Justin joked. Again, he had the audience rolling with laughter and I get what he was saying but even that little slice of self-deprecating humor added to the personality that reigned supreme throughout the set. Whether you picked up on the slight punk influence in his set or just got lost in the singer-songwriter vibes he was giving off, The Indiana Drones made for a perfect intro into the night.

I was very intrigued by the next act, Peter Raffoul. That’s right, we got a two-fer as far as Raffoul’s went on Monday night. It was kind of obvious based on the pictures I had seen that Peter was a brother of Billy. Their looked nearly identical in some of the photos I had snooped prior to the show. Did this mean that Peter was just going to be a carbon copy of his brother? Did Peter really have something to bring to the table or was he just riding his brother’s curtails? I braced myself for impact as Peter took the stage.

I instantly felt what I had felt the first time I saw Billy perform live– a wall of emotion and sounds that both made me feel everything and nothing all at the same time. With a raspy voice very similar yet clearly different from his brother, I was instantly trapped in Peter’s world. There was this strange thing where you could almost tell throughout the uber-quick set that Peter had something to prove as far as he wasn’t just at this show because of his brother but, at the same time, was so cool, calm, and comfortable on stage. I almost felt like I was watching an inner battle take place on stage for the first song but, as soon as Peter realized just how supportive the growing audience was, he gave up on trying to prove something and just gave the crowd a performance that won’t be soon forgotten. There was something simple about Peter’s music yet it hit so perfectly. Long story short, it didn’t take long to figure out that Peter was there because of his talent, not his brother and it really made me want a cup of whatever is in the water in their small hometown in Canada.

Billy Raffoul, as I mentioned, is definitely a bit out of my norm but his voice and his performance will keep me coming back time and time again. I feel like Billy reached a level of mild fame a couple of years ago but definitely didn’t get the recognition he deserved. That being said, I love that this guy has not given up and continues to tour and put out amazing music. The first thing you notice about Billy Raffoul (outside of his beautiful hair) is his voice. It’s that perfect kind of raspy that has a sense of danger behind it but also wraps you up like a blanket on a cold winter’s night. It’s almost a literal balance of smoky and smoke which I know is a bit weird but, as soon as you hear him, you may understand what I’m trying to say here.

Beyond Billy’s voice is the delivery when he performs live. Like the previous two acts that graced the stage, Billy Raffoul brought a sense of raw emotion to the room while also coming off as stunningly perfect. It was clear we were watching and listening to someone who had poured their heart into their craft and their songs but, at the same time, you felt like you were watching a friend perform. To say Billy’s energy is accessible and approachable would be the understatement of the century and you saw that really come to a head as he left the stage at the end of the night and was quickly whisked into a sea of adoring fans. We may have just been at a small and intimate show at The Turf Club in Saint Paul on a Monday night but, for some of the fans in attendance, that small and intimate show was as big and impactful as an arena show. The performance was great but that moment really made the night for me.

Line Up:

The Indiana Drones

Peter Raffoul

Billy Raffoul

Venue: The Turf Club

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 38

Crowd Surfers- None

Stage Divers- None

Groove-ability- 2 out of 10

Amount of Beer Spilled On Me While Walking Around- 0

Broken Bones- None Noticed

Spotted Flying Through The Air- Nothing

Fights- None Witnessed

Pukers- 0

Passed Out People- 0

Idiots Taken Out By Security – 0

How Irritated I Was With The Audience – 0 out of 10

How Many Times I’ve Seen These Bands Before (or at least how many times I can remember)-

The Indiana Drones– 0

Peter Raffoul – 0

Billy Raffoul – 2

Celebrity Sightings – Jake of Blue Felix / Ann of Mostly MN Music

Overall Score – 8.2 out of 10

Show on Deck — Doom Flower / Neva Dinova

Shameless Self Promotion:

Join My Patreon Here!

Buy Me a Coffee (Seriously!)

Check out my playlist with this track and a bunch of other amazing tracks HERE!