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Rare Creatures, The Mammoths, and Arson Daily Sold Out The Royal American (Photos + Review)

April 2, 2019 by Chris HuberLast Updated: March 23, 2024

This past Friday night, Rare Creatures played their first hometown show of 2019 at The Royal American. I expected a big crowd, but I didn’t expect it to be quite as packed as it was. They sold the place out, complete with a line at the door and two people deep all the way around the bar. That’s a prime example, for the musicians reading this, of the value in spacing out your local bookings so that people are just waiting for the chance to see you play. Charleston was in need of a Rare Creatures show, and the band delivered the goods.

Arson Daily out of Boone kicked things off with a garage rock sound that hits a wavelength similar to what you hear coming out of Nashville these days. They had a good vibe, and they caught the attention of a crowd that was mostly there to see Rare Creatures. I recommend the live sessions that they did at Crimson Moon Records in Raleigh. Check that out here.

Rare Creatures played second, and their set featured songs off their 2018 self-titled debut, but also some new material that hasn’t been released yet. They’ve been back in Coast Records recently working on what will become their next album, and they gave us a preview on Friday night by throwing at least three new songs in their set. The encore was “Youth & Truth”, which is one of the best songs on Rare Creatures and a ton of fun in the live setting. This time it started a sizable mosh pit in front of the stage.

The Mammoths from Austin closed out the evening with a more laid-back, jam-driven vibe, which was fine, but the crowd thinned out significantly after Rare Creatures played. The room didn’t have the same level of energy, but there were still a decent amount of people paying attention to the band, and they played well. Rare Creatures just should have played last. It’s safe to say at this point that they’re too big to open for an out-of-town band at The Royal American.

We’ll keep you posted on news about that new Rare Creatures album, but for now enjoy a photo gallery from the night below. All photos by Alex Wiley. Follow her on Instagram @coyotephotoandfilm.