THE ACES LIVE!! | LINCOLN THEATER
Coverage by Larissa Blankenship
A crowd of sparkles and black leather cheered and sang along as the lights dimmed and “Bottoms Up” by Trey Songz and Nicki Minaj blasted from the speakers of the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh, NC on November 16th. This club classic marked the beginning of The Aces’ Gold Star Baby show. The band hails from Provo, Utah and is composed of four members, Cristal Ramirez (lead vocals and guitar), Katie Henderson (guitar and vocals), McKenna Petty (bass and vocals), and Alisa Ramirez (drums and vocals). The band formed in 2008 when the four friends began performing around their hometown. The Aces have four full length albums and their indie pop music and catchy lyrics have resulted in many hits. Their debut single “Stuck” off of their EP I Don’t Like Being Honest climbed the charts and jumpstarted their fan base. The band is currently touring for their Gold Star Baby tour in celebration of their album of the same name that was released in August of this year.
The “small but mighty” crowd, as dubbed by the band members, cheered with excitement and shook the ground dancing as the band walked on stage and performed “Jealous”. Lead singer Cristal Ramirez grooved around the stage and interacted with fans on the front rows as she sang. The flashing colored lights added a “club vibe” to the night which reflected the album concept. About halfway through the set the band came back on stage wearing bright pink feather boas and selected one lucky fan to be named “best dressed” who then got to go up on stage and take a shot with the members. The night continued on with more songs off the new album, which included a little bit of audience participation for “The Magic” and some epic guitar solos in other songs, along with some older hits. Before singing their newly released single “Square One”, the group pulled a couple audience members to the front to share some “tea” as an homage to the “tea time” section from the band’s old podcast. One fan shared about a trip abroad gone wrong and another told the crowd about their recent workplace drama. The night closed out full of energy with the band and the crowd jumping to “Stuck”. The Aces put on an incredible show and if they aren't already your new indie obsession, you should definitely give them a listen.
