So, OK, I didn't go see Stryper. :( But I saw something even better...

Raq. They were nothing short of amazing. Opie Hendrix and I were standing around talking about how we felt like we should be seeing these guys in front of a huge crowd at Miller, not in front of 20 people on a Tuesday night at the Rhythm Room. They're similar to Phish in many ways (including the fact that they hail from Vermont), but they play faster than Phish and they've got a more obvious progressive rock bent. Which is great with me! I got their CD and I can recommend it highly.

I was talking to the band after their set, and I mentioned that it was too bad that there was such a meager crowd. The drummer, Greg, said "Yeah, crowds are nice, but it doesn't make a difference to us." That's the kind of attitude that separates the success stories from the failure stories. They're playing at the Vibe in Austin tonight, so if anybody in Austin is reading this, go check 'em out. I will keep tabs on 'em and let you know when they're back in town. Big props to Tapir Productions for bringing these guys in.