RIIL Chemistry

My husband, son and I joined a few friends for some food, fun and live music at Cherrywood Coffeehouse on 38 1/2 street, here, in Austin. This was our first acquaintance with both RIIL Chemistry and the venue. We were pleased on both accounts.

The Place — Cherrywood Coffeehouse

Cherrywood Coffeehouse, located on 38 1/2 street (not too far around the corner from Fiesta), offers up a refreshing blend of food, drinks and entertainment for its patrons. The stage where RIIL Chemistry performed is located on the business's back patio, which I'd describe as a blend of a deck area when you first exit the building and then more of a courtyard area closer to the stage. It was very spacious with plenty of seating and tables (which you will appreciate as it turns out the food and drinks are good too!). It also provides a kind of oasis (maybe I use this term due to the palm trees also located back there) for kid and/or dog-friendly fun. I found the menu surprisingly plentiful — struggling to choose between the seafood platter, the gyro sandwich or the chorizo taco (breakfast is served all day). I also noted they had several vegetarian options which is a big plus for many Austinites!

The Band — RIIL Chemistry

RIIL Chemistry Band Plays Cherrywood Coffeehouse
So, of course, the real (or is it "RIIL") point here is RIIL Chemistry. This local Austin band is comprised of 4 boys ages 12-15 — Ryan (vocals and rhythm guitar), Isaac (drums), Isaiah (bass guitar), and Logan (guitar and backup vocals). The RIIL of RIIL Chemistry is created via the first letter of each band member's name. These kids have been writing and performing together for 3 years and can perform 2-hours-worth of rock n' roll originals and covers from AC/DC to Weezer.

The band actually came together in a few phases. Ryan (lead singer) and Logan (lead guitar) performed together in a Pond Springs Elementary School Talent Show with another friend on drums and decided to become a band. Isaiah (bass guitar and also a Pond Springs classmate) joined later as the bass guitarist and later asked his brother Isaac (drummer) to fill in temporarily as drummer. After a few practices, they all agreed he should make it permanent and Loud Chemistry was born. Yes, I said Loud Chemistry. That was the original name of the band, but they found out it was taken and renamed the group RIIL Chemistry.

The Performance

Upon taking the stage, I was impressed with their maturity. They got to business first, announcing their name and Facebook presence. Then, just like any adult band you might see downtown, these boys got to rocking. And, I loved that they did so without the profanity that might pop from the mouth of an adult rocker. They brought energy to the stage and the audience in the form of dazzling riffs and enticing lyrics. In fact, it wasn't long before a mom stood up with her baby and swayed to some well-known tunes. Then, they moved to some of their originals which rivaled those written by many adult bands I've seen. I did enjoy, though, the lyrics of one in particular, "What You Say" simply because I couldn't help wonder if they weren't trying to tell their Moms something. RIIL Chemistry closed their show with "Flowers and Grenades" which they also announced just debuted as their first music video (you can check it out on YouTube here.)

All in all, it was an entertaining performance that I thought really demonstrated what Austin is all about. These kids followed their dreams, were doing what they loved and shared it with others in the live music capitol of the world. And, on this particular night, they did so in a location that I felt had that "old Austin" vibe I miss so much. How cool is that? Since the show, RIIL Chemistry had their first radio debut earlier this week on KOOP 91.7 also featuring "Flowers and Grenades." In addition to gigs around town, the band loves to play events including private parties. You can find contact details on KidzAustin.com's Partiez2U page. - KIDZAUSTIN.COM