Roman Numerals Play New Venue in St. Louis

Earlier this week, Riverfront Times music editor Annie Zaleski, saw the Roman Numerals play a new club in St. Louis. Here’s her report:

Us St. Louis residents had the pleasure of seeing ex-Get Up Kid Ryan Pope’s debut appearance as the drummer of Roman Numerals on Tuesday night. The band was kind enough to grace us with its presence at the town’s newest club, the Bluebird. (Take note, KC bands: The venue is looking to book good, quality acts there. Get more info at the MySpace page or at this bloglink.)

What struck me first during the performance – besides the fact that Pope is a dead-ringer for Ben Folds — was how happy the Nooms looked. Not that they usually look or act particularly dour, but a looser, light-hearted atmosphere permeated the set, moreso than any of the multiple times I’ve seen them. The band’s music also seemed much more flexible – both in scope and arrangement-wise — with Pope behind the kit.