Aaron Graham and Tucker Elkins of the duo Ray Bull embarked on their first headlining tour, and – lucky us – stopped at D.C.’s The Atlantis for their very first stop on March 7.

Graham and Elkins met in art school as visual artists. Now they make music together, and they are bringing along Tyler Berrier to open their show that will stop in cities throughout the United States and the United Kingdom this spring.

At their show at The Atlantis, Berrier opened with nothing but himself, an electric guitar, and a few pieces of electronic equipment to play accompaniment tracks. Berrier, who was covered in silver face paint that reflected the colorful lights onstage, sang a lot of mellow, electro-folk music.

He seemed so grateful to be opening for Ray Bull. A few of his songs even included some prerecorded vocals or instruments played by one or both members of Ray Bull, which, when he mentioned that aloud, made the crowd cheer. After Berrier’s set, he talked to a few audience members from the stage as the crew transitioned behind him. 

Before Ray Bull took the stage, three LED banners scrolled messages across their screens in bright red. It was hard to read the messages, as they were moving quickly, but they kept scrolling throughout the entire show. It added a bit of mystery to the band’s already mysterious ambience. One line I did pick up on, though, said “The circle of life is clever and brutal.”

Joined by their drummer Fletcher Pontus Aleckson, at last, Ray Bull came onstage and performed a somewhat short but highly impactful set. The band’s music isn’t the kind you really dance and jump around to; it’s the kind you listen to intently, and hearing it live allowed me to hear their lyrics and music in a new way. It felt ethereal.

Something about Ray Bull just gives me such an intriguing feeling, so much to the point where I thought I was experiencing déjà vu. Their show felt so familiar, yet still so fresh and unique (and also a tad strange) – unlike any show I’d ever seen before. It just goes to show how unique Ray Bull is and how often live music can create experiences that affect your whole body.

The band played songs from their new EP, Little Acts of Violence, which came out on Feb. 21, as well as songs from other EPs and singles. While Graham stuck with his electric guitar the whole show, Elkins switched between a guitar and a keyboard, even adding in a harmonica around his neck for a song.

The house was nearly packed to the brim with fans of various ages. A few die-hard fans in the front of the cornered stage sang along with nearly every song, even some of the brand new ones. Some fans even sported their quirky merchandise, including shirts that said “I got my lobotomy at the Ray Bull show” and “Paging Doctor Ray Bull.”

There were a few technical difficulties, but that wasn’t too surprising as it was their first stop on their first ever headlining tour. The crowd was supportive and patient when Graham had to change his monitor batteries, when Elkins couldn’t hear the keyboard monitor, and when the microphones and speakers produced some feedback.

The lighting design they used added an abundance of energy and thoughtfulness to the environment in which they were creating via their performance. After all, they are visual artists, too, so that must have been an important piece for them to consider when designing their show.

As a journalist, one small detail I really enjoyed was that their microphones had little boxes around them that said “Ray Bull 25,” which made them look like newscaster microphones. This show was certainly newsworthy!

It’s clear just from watching the duo onstage that Graham and Elkins work very well together. They can communicate with one another just with a single look. Their vocals blend perfectly together, and their songwriting abilities give you a glimpse of their artistic minds.