Born Ruffians Electrifies the Sinclair

In a world of celebrity copycat beats and autotune, it often feels like artists are growing more and more detached from their work. In my 19 years of life I have attended many concerts, but none stood out to me like Born Ruffians’ did at the Sinclair on March 23. Composed of Luke Lalonde (guitar/vocals), Mitch DeRosier (bass), Andy Lloyd (guitar/keyboard) and Steve Hamelin (drums), Born Ruffians took the stage with a level of intensity and passion that I have never before seen. DeRosier bounced up and down the stage, his head bobbing wildly as he made faces at his often bearded and Warby-Parker-clad audience. Hamelin pounded the drums in a passionate fervor. Each of the band members concentrated intensely on their set as they all played together, performing with gleeful grins that rarely left their faces.

On tour for the release of their 2018 album “Uncle, Duke & the Chief,” the Canadian indie band performed in front of three giant lamps that lit the stage in various colors during their show. The stage’s front lighting often worked in tandem with these lamps to produce captivating color compositions, and, in homage to one of their albums, “Red, Yellow & Blue,” the lamps were often brightly lit up in primary colors. Multiple guitars also served as props on stage, and the artists switched between those guitars as the night went on.

The band Fleece, a psychedelic-indie-rock group, opened the concert. They played with an ease that seeped into the audience. Drummer Ethan Soil played every song with a huge grin on his face, drawing attention from fans enchanted by his blatant passion for his craft. Vocalists Matthew Rogers and Megan Ennenberg sang to each other and were visibly comfortable as they danced around onstage, shooting each other knowing smiles. Fleece did an excellent job of creating a relaxed yet engaging atmosphere, setting the tone for Born Ruffians’ entrance. The group wore casual evening wear—blazers atop long sleeve, button-down shirts and jeans. This quasi-formal uniform juxtaposed the band’s causal and uninhibited aura. Still, this formality was countered as the band romped around the stage with zeal.

Born Ruffians clearly connected with their audience, which seemed to be wholly immersed in the music. The band closed with “Working Together” off of “Uncle, Duke & the Chief.” Born Ruffians was joined onstage by Fleece and a videographer, so the stage filled with nine singers and dancers for the show’s conclusion. “Working Together” is a classic road-trip anthem, the type that one plays in a movie-perfect moment, surrounded by friends while heading to the beach. As both bands came together to perform the song, the love between the musicians on stage was obvious—the two drummers drummed on one set together, Fleece and Born Ruffians’ vocalists shared microphones and sang together, and to cap off the collaboration, a few tambourines and maracas entered the mix. It was a magically cohesive moment between musicians and audience. Visibly moved by the song, Hamelin eventually ceded control of his drum set to Fleece drummer Soil and leaped off of the stage into the crowd, then proceeded to dance with his starstruck fans until the song ended.

Born Ruffians’ show will not be forgotten by any of the audience members anytime soon—the cohesion, camaraderie, and passion in each one of the band members was palpable and translated into a connection between the audience and the musicians that permeated the entire show.