You may have caught them on the College Television Network while you were eating in the Orleans Room or walking past the C-store.
Maybe you were taken with her angelic blonde hair or his constantly angst-ridden expression.
Or maybe you haven’t even heard of The Raveonettes, the Danish band that has much of Europe and America buzzing.
Singer-guitarist Sune Rose Wagner and singer-bassist Sharin Foo brought their unique brand of alt rock to the House of Blues on February 26.
They are touring with New York post-punk rockers Interpol. The Raveonettes’ artfully constructed music complemented Interpol’s carefully deconstructed sound.
Along with guitarist Manoj Ramdas and drummer Jakob Hoyer, Wagner and Foo played relentlessly for 45 minutes, opening and closing with a droll, surreal cover of Don McLean’s folksy hit, “Everyday.”
Wagner and Foo’s vocals melded together effortlessly, and their movements often mirrored each other.
The male-female dynamic resulted in a refreshing sound compared to today’s music market, which has few similar current acts.
The Raveonettes played several numbers from their 8-track album, “Whip It On.”
Wagner penned all of the songs from the recent release in the key of B flat minor, which led to a uniform sound.
The songs that translated best from recording to live performance were those played in the crashing sound of guitar reverb, including “Beat City” and their current single, “Attack of the Ghost Riders.”
Other notable songs included “Chain Gang of Love” and “My Tornado.”
Foo and Wagner performed the set with a sense of good-natured detachment, stopping periodically to thank the crowd or throw out a song name.
Wagner rocked the set, constantly grinding on his guitar.
When he wasn’t on the guitar, he was dragging on cigarettes with a bright red drink in his hand, perhaps trying to look as tortured as possible.
During the finale, in a fit of guitar-playing mania, Wagner knocked his mic stand over, but it didn’t faze him a bit — he kept on going.
Foo stayed low-key, plugging away on her bass and looking like a demure, pretty Courtney Love.
The abrasive sound of The Raveonettes’ songs lent itself to a pretty energetic set.
Often, opening bands don’t deliver when it comes to quality music, but The Raveonettes did.
They’re back in New Orleans tonight, playing with The Mooney Suzuki, Longwaives and White Light Motorcade at the Howlin’ Wolf. Go check out what an opening band should be.