Highly Anticipated
Almost every PR announcement I get claims that an album is “highly anticipated.” It’s a phrase I’ve come to loath, and it’s used so much it basically doesn’t mean anything anymore.
Except this time. Except for Castle Rat.
It was well over a year ago that I began following Todd White and King Volume Records. He even did an interview, which happens to be one of the most watched interviews I’ve ever done. He talked about Castle Rat a few times. Same thing for Blake Carrera, another King Volume alum and current writer for this blog (his stuff is awesome.) He told me about Castle Rat as well, and actually use the word “love.”
I found the band on Instagram, specifically Riley Pinkerton. I got to follow along as she posted about building her costumes, her stage props, and her, um, exhibitionist stylings. Be forewarned, Riley is indeed that dangerous rock ‘n’ roll woman you’ve been warned about.
She also designs and makes “killer” jewelry.
Before I ever heard one note of Castle Rat, I was fascinated. To follow Riley is about as close to being a fly on the wall as you can get in rock ‘n’ roll. She shows everything, almost literally. And by that I mean, how she makes her rings, writes her songs, gets ready to perform. 90% of the reason I bought tickets to Desertfest New York last year was to see Castle Rat.
Desertfest and the Birth of A Legend
We got to the “Texas” room at Desertfest 2023 early enough to get a prime view. I scoped out a safe place with a clear view. Newbie, being a newbie, decided to go up front, stage right. There were maybe 15 people in the room at the time, and there was no way she could’ve known what was about to happen. I tried to warn her…
The buzz about Castle Rat had been building for a long time, almost to the point of hype. Anticipation hung about the air. The crowd kept staring at the scantily clad performers scurrying from the main dressing room to the stage at the farthest corner of the Knockdown Center. Hushed tones asked one another, “is that Castle Rat? Are they with the band?” The psycho-sexual erotica of the costumes was hard to ignore, and I’m sure added to the sense of anticipation and curiosity. You just had to follow these people, whoever they were going, just in case it was interesting.
90% of the reason I bought tickets to Desertfest New York last year was to see Castle Rat.
I got myself quickly to the raised platform, stage right. Being about 4 feet above the rest of the crowd, I thought I’d have a good angle to get pictures and video. Then the crowd started filing in, and I felt a bit of panic raising in my throat. Newbie wouldn’t be able to get away from her spot in front of the stage if she wanted or needed to. This was her first major Heavy Underground show of any kind, and my protective instincts kicked into full gear period but I was helpless.
As if appearing through a portal, the room was packed. A mix of the curious and the knowing, it felt like something was about to happen. The mood was chill, but you could feel the energy.
Disaster Strikes
I’ll never forget what I saw at that show. The crowd was ravenous, and from the first opening chords while the band was tuning, Riley had them in the palm of her hands. And then disaster struck.
I’m not sure when it happened, but near the beginning of the set Riley’s amp went out. It felt like an eternity as the band tried to figure out what to do. I was struck with wave of sympathy that I usually don’t have. The thing is, going into that show I thought of Castle Rat as my band. I’d chatted with Riley a few times on Instagram, and worked closely with their label, King Volume Records. I’m not special, it’s just that’s the kind of band Castle Rat is. They have a way of allowing you to feel like you have a stake in the band, you’re a part of the whole thing. So when I saw things take a turn for the worst, I felt protective.
I had nothing to worry about. The guitarist, The Count, kept jamming away while the Druid kept time on drums. The Plague Doctor calmly and professionally got things working again, while the Rat Queen the audience enraptured.
To follow Riley is about as close to being a fly on the wall as you can get in rock ‘n’ roll.
When they kicked back in, it almost felt like it was part of the show. it seemed like everyone was involved in the drama, both real and staged. The rest of the set I heard countless “ooohs” and “aaahs” as their beloved Queen battled the Rat Reaperess across the portals of their imagination.
There was a dude behind me, about 6 feet tall and an easy 250 Lbs who was crushed when the The Rat Queen is killed by the Reaperess. This hunk of muscle and bone regressed to a child watching the Wizard of Oz for the first time. And when the Queen triumphed at the end, his voice overpowered the PA. Hand to Gawd, when I looked at him he had tears in his eyes.
All around me, the crowd reacted in a way I’ve rarely seen. A young lady in front of me, maybe 21 years old or younger, looked at me for support, or maybe she just wanted to share the moment with someone else. Shy smile, fist-bump, she was on The Team and part of the experience and totally transported to The Realm.
The World Belongs to Castle Rat
Newbie caught some great footage of the epic climax of the show. I was too far away to see much of it, but it turns out she was at the right place for the entire show. She saw every single moment of what happened, but watched more than she recorded.
At the end, the applause was thunderous, and no one was in a hurry to leave. 20 minutes later, Riley was still interacting with the audience who lined up to tell her how awesome Castle Rat is. She came across surprisingly shy and overwhelmed by the time my bald head made it to the stage. I’m pretty sure she had no idea who I was, even though we’d been in contact quite a few times. It stung a little.
But then I realized: this is now Castle Rat’s world, and the rest of us just live in it. Less then a year later, and they just finished touring with Green Lung. There’s no telling what the future will bring. And there’s no limit, either. (I’m just hoping to get an interview.)
If you believe, or ever believed, in Rock ‘n Roll, you NEED to see Castle Rat.
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