The Ragbirds with Subterranean House Band
The Woodlands Tavern
Columbus, OH
4-27-13
Words and Pictures by Wib Schneider
Woodlands Tavern in Columbus is one of those rare venues where the atmosphere, sound, staff, drink selection, and overall vibe align almost perfectly. A central Ohio favorite, Woodlands has been bringing in some great acts over the last few years, from local groups just getting off the ground to seasoned national and regional acts.
On Saturday, April 27th, one of those seasoned acts, The Ragbirds, passed through for a night of their catchy world beat infused folk rock. Hailing from Ann Arbor, Michigan, the band was formed in 2005. The band is no stranger to the road, and has performed in more than 30 states, including numerous stops in Ohio over the years.
Starting off the night was Subterranean House Band from Dayton, Ohio. Though the band is a relative newcomer to the Ohio scene, their lineup consists of several musicians who are familiar to Ohio music fans. Bassist Chuck Love was a founding member of The Werks, and sax player Danny Sauers has played in several notable bands including Heavy Weather and Romeo Champagne. Sauers also has been a guest musician with countless Ohio bands. Rounding out the lineup are Chris Coalt on guitar and Rob Brockman on drums.
Though the crowd was sparse for most of their set, Subterranean House Band put on a dynamic, inspired performance. Their sound mixes elements of jazz-fusion, funk, gritty rock and roll, and more. Early in the set, their original tune “What I Need” showcased this diversity by traveling from a jazzy funk groove to a dark, minor key guitar solo before climaxing with some soaring interplay between Sauers and Coalt.
These guys seem to be heavily influenced by fusion and funk music from the ‘70s, which they paid homage to mid set with a rendition of a Meters tune. The rest of the performance was mostly original tunes, featuring vocals by Love, Sauers, and Coalt. These tunes gave them plenty of room to stretch out and jam, but things never got too loose or noodle-y. They would often work off of a theme for a bit before suddenly changing keys, dropping into a new jam theme, or back into a song. Brockman did a great job steering the band’s dynamics, often building a section up then instantly shifting on a dime to a new groove or feel.
Subterranean House Band is an extremely tight group and plays together as a unit in a way that not many bands can. This is the type of group that will be able to gain respect from both music fans and musicians alike.
The Ragbirds hit the stage a bit before midnight to a slowly growing audience. 
Led by the very talented multi-instrumentalist Erin Zindle, they began their first set with a handful of shorter songs that seemed to warm up both the band and crowd. This batch of tunes included a tango, a new song from their newest release “Travelin’ Machine”, and a reggae groove.
About five songs in, Zindle thanked the crowd and introduced the next piece as a “traditional West African rhythm”. Each of the five band members then played an African drum or percussion instrument, which together produced a beautiful, cascading, polyrhythmic landscape over which they chanted and sang. These drum-based segments are a trademark of the Ragbirds’ live shows, and for good reason; it really brought the energy in the room up.
By this time, the audience had grown a bit, but there was still plenty of room to move around. It was a diverse crowd, featuring everyone from a pair of hippy girls dancing holes in the floor up front to several groups of much older fans sitting at tables along the wall. The band’s confident exuberance seemed to rub off on everyone, resulting in a very laid back and friendly atmosphere.
The Ragbirds’ first set finished with a strong trio of tunes that showcased various members of the band. 
They honored a fan request for a very early tune from their first album, which featured a short bass solo in the middle by Brian Crist. While he grooved along with the drums and percussion, guitarist (and Erin’s brother) TJ Zindle switched from his electric axe to an acoustic, and the band steered into a bluegrass-y jam to finish out the song. The Zindle siblings started the next tune together, which was a beautiful Celtic style melody. The set concluded with a strong rendition of Steve Earle’s song “I Feel Alright”, with lead vocals by TJ. Both he and Erin possess excellent vocal chops, and their harmonies together are a strong point of the Ragbirds’ sound.
During the setbreak, a few more people trickled in. When the band kicked off the second set, they seemed eager to keep the energy up. The second song of the set was a very fun version of Gerry Rafferty’s classic “Stuck in the Middle with You” that had many in the crowd singing along. After that, Erin Zindle’s violin playing took on a gypsy vibe for a tune that ended with the band quoting the main riff from “Devil Went Down to Georgia”.
Switching styles yet again, Erin grabbed a melodica for a song that seemed inspired by Spanish music. The variety of global influences these guys have is really astounding. This segment featured some awesome interplay between TJ and Erin Zindle on guitar and melodica, respectively. The Ragbirds definitely put songwriting first, but parts of the show like this made it very clear that they can rip it up when they want to.
A definite highpoint of the second set was the band’s take on the Talking Heads classic, “(Nothing But) Flowers”. Drummer Loren Kranz and percussionist Randall Moore provided a great rhythmic bed for the Zindle siblings to sing David Byrne’s lyrics over. TJ also nailed the guitar parts, making for a great cover that the crowd absolutely loved.
The Ragbirds approach to their music could be summed up in the last part of the show. They gave the Columbus audience one more song that featured everyone on African drums and percussion. A few minutes into the tune, the stage lights cut out, leaving the band in pitch black. They didn’t miss a beat, and when the lights came back on, they were all smiling and laughing. This band seems to love playing its music for people, and it would take a lot more than a light malfunction to stop them from having a blast doing so.
