Lithium Magazine

By Jett White

www.r5rocks.com

From the band members to the management team and onto their stage tech/merch handler, the Colorado-born ensemble of R5 is certainly a family affair.  That point is driven home by the band’s pre-show introductory song of “We Are Family”, a dance track made famous by Sister Sledge in 1979.  However, given the lyrics of “I’ve got all my sisters with me” despite that R5 is primarily made up of brothers, it begs the question as to why the band hasn’t opted to record their own updated version of the song.  God knows they’ve got the talent and could do something unique with it.

Simply named for the five members who share the initial “R”, the band consists of Lynch brothers Rocky (vocals, lead guitar), Ross (vocals, rhythm guitar), Riker (vocals, bass), Lynch sister Rydel (vocals, keyboard) and long time friend Ratliff (vocals, drums – first name Ellington), who might as well be family given his long time friendship and obvious brotherly love with the Lynch boys.

Currently rockin’ a spring tour in support of their recent EP release titled LOUD, the band saw three Ontario dates this past week, bringing them to Molson Studio at Hamilton Place on Monday May 6th.  Toronto was skipped for this tour considering their appearance at Virgin Mobile Mod Club just six months prior. 

Taking into account the band’s label of Hollywood Records, owned by Disney, along with heartthrob Ross Lynch’s teen/tween Family Channel sitcom of ‘Austin & Ally’ and the band’s continuous exposure on said channel (another Disney venture), R5 has a ready-made, built-in fan base of young girls.  However, in watching the band perform their well delivered, approximate 90-minute set of old school tunes mixed with newer EP offerings, a few tracks pulled from the Austin & Ally series, along with some cover songs, one must acknowledge that these guys (and girl) are noticeably maturing. With this in mind, and with all due respect to Disney, Family Channel, and the series that made Ross a star, one can’t help but question whether this undeniably attractive band is slowly but surely straying from the squeaky-clean Disney image while trying to find a more adult niche in the music industry.

Case in point, primary songwriter Rocky Lynch now endures having his lyrics changed, or let’s be honest – tamed – by concerned Disney execs.  Further, the band’s recent cover song inclusion of Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar on Me”, which features Rydel strutting out front with her brothers, is allegedly receiving backlash, according to online gossip, from execs as well as parents who think the song should be eliminated from the band’s set list due its sexual overtones.  Another current addition to the set is a “Thrift Shop/Workout” mash-up that features the guy’s deepening voices delivering the song's questionable content.

But the emerging maturity level of the band isn’t just audible – it’s also very visible. Anyone that has seen an R5 show lately, in person or on YouTube, can’t deny that Ross has developed a firm grasp on his sexuality as his pelvic thrusts and slithering dance moves would indicate, while Rocky and Riker equally demonstrate a candid sex appeal that goes against the Disney grain. The mere fact that a recent show saw a bra land on stage and later hooked over Rocky’s mic, that Riker languidly licks the neck of his bass to entice the female audience, or that, while performing Rocky mimes an outline of the female form in the air and finishes with a playful smack across her imaginary butt, would suggest that the R in R5 these days might be leaning more towards racy or RIPE.

All in all, if you’re a parent accompanying your kids to an R5 show and you suddenly feel uncomfortable, then it’s certain you’ve noticed the change as the band inevitably ages and develops. And if you’re a fan that’s truly paying attention, you can actually feel a metamorphosis bubbling right under the surface, like one day soon R5 just might deliver something much harder than their current pop centered tunes, perhaps similar to alternative rock/post grunge ex label mates, Breaking Benjamin.  Though such a move might break the hearts of younger fans, the older contingent (along with this reviewer) would certainly applaud it.  

Thankfully, the band has the musical chops to back this up. Able to play a multitude of instruments, Rocky demonstrates some serious and notable guitar skill with his bluesy intro to “What Do I Have To Do?”  The live version of the song also features an instrumental bridge that platforms the guitar competence of Ross and the bass dexterity of Riker. (To peep a sample, check it out here on YouTube)  Altogether, it’s proof that R5 is capable of much more than the poppy, albeit catchy and dance-worthy tunes from Austin & Ally.

So, while we await a probable change, R5 undoubtedly puts on an entertaining show, with lots of cool confidence, band banter, crowd interaction, and high-energy songs. Standouts of the night included “I Want You Bad” from the new EP LOUD, “What Do I Have To Do?”, “Not a Love Song”, and a cover of Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours”.  The performance also came complete with plenty of hormone-driven squeals from the many young females in the audience, who had been warmed up earlier in the evening by opening bands Taylor Matthews, as well as Hollywood Ending, both of which put on fun-filled and energetic shows.