ALBUQUERQUE, NM - April 22--Ryanhood and their guest drummer Josh Harrison, from the band The Year of Acceleration, and bassist Chris Giambelluca, from the band Luca, took an early flight to Albuquerque to play at the University of New Mexico. This year, the school combined their annual volunteerism day, Spring Storm, with UNM Fiestas and Earth Day activities. Less than an hour after their plane landed in Albuquerque, Ryan Green and Cameron Hood were set up in the end zone of the UNM football field playing for a gathering of Spring Storm volunteers. Even with little sleep and even less time to warm up, the gentlemen put on a great show of some of their standard fan favorites. The volunteers seemed to appreciate the effort of a band getting up and performing for them when they were still half asleep and downing gallons of coffee to stay awake for their coming efforts.

Later in the day, Ryanhood took the stage at the tent at UNM Fiestas/Spring Storm. This was an outdoor afternoon concert, and therefore hard to compare to other Ryanhood shows in more confined environments. The set also took place between two ska bands, with a crowd mainly consisting of Reel Big Fish fans, at least prior to the start of the set. The review of a recent show in which Ryanhood opened for Better than Ezra asserted that "The opening band, Ryanhood, took stage at 8pm. Consisting of two guitars and two guys in ties, this band won the crowd by 8:02." That seems to be a theme in Ryanhood performances which continued on this day. Many of the ska fans cleared away from the stage prior to the start of the set. However, by the end of the set they were all back, and all enjoying the music. There were, of course, many Ryanhood fans in the crowd as well. Albuquerque is a city which has many fans who have given their hearts to Ryanhood, and in return Ryanhood keeps going back. This day, Ryanhood won over not just their typical crowd, but also folks with “Mohawks,” 2' spikes of hair, leather and chains. Yet more proof that Ryanhood appeals to a wide range of people.

The show started with the acoustic duo playing “Stopless.” As usual, the crowd was gripped by this song and caught in the Ryanhood charm for the rest of the show. Harrison and Giambelluca joined the duo on stage for the rest of the show in their coordinated ties and black shirts. The set list for this show was mainly songs available on Ryanhood CDs, but included the new rocking song “Nothing But the Real Thing” and a cover of the Jars of Clay song “Show You Love.” The company doing sound did an excellent job in which they weren't given time to do sound check with all the acts performing, but each act sounded fantastic. A recording of “Welcome You Into My Head” can be heard on Ryanhood's MySpace page, and shows you both how this song has grown and developed even more than the versions most people have heard, and how well done the sound was at the show.

By the end of the show, old fans and new were excited to buy merchandise, see the band, and listen to their new CDs. Many requests for a speedy return to Albuquerque could be heard for quite a while after the show, as well as lamentations that the set was far too short, even if longer than most of the sets played that day.

Afternoon Set List:

Stopless (just as a duo)
Gardens and the Graves (from here on, as a full band)
Separate
You Used To
Ivy
Helpless Hopeless
Nothing But the Real Thing
Show You Love (Jars of Clay)
Welcome You Into My Head