The Rocking Horse Winner, an indie pop band on Equal Vision Records, stopped at Champs Cafe in Blacksburg on Saturday, Aug. 31.  This female-fronted 4 piece band hooked up in Florida, and have been going strong for 2 and a half years.  Lead singer, Jolie Lindholm, sings backup on both of Dashboard Confessional's full length albums ("The Swiss Army Romance" and "The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most").

Closing out the show, the Rocking Horse Winner ties it all up with songs chock full of heartfelt lyrics, technical drumming, and intense, happy guitars. Jolie's voice is strong, almost hypnotizing, and gets you lost in the music. The presence of this band is so amazing, I almost fell over when they were done playing.  Their sound is unique, thanks to the vocals, which gives this band their own sound.  But the songs are so sweetly nostalgic, you can't help but think of the past, of more innocent days, of lost loves, and anything that made you feel alive.  Even though the crowd was into the band, and even more so, the powerful vocals; Jolie would modestly thank the crowd after belting out song after song.

Opening for RHW, were two local and regional bands.  Red Admiral, from Virgina Beach started things off with their pseudo-Sunny Day Real Estate meets Coldplay style.  They started things off right with inspirational lyrics and mellow music.  The second band, Liberation Jumpsuit, described themselves as funksouljampunkpoprocknrolljazzmetal...if you can't decipher what that says, it was even harder live.  Despite this rock and roll mishap, Rocking Horse Winner was the highlight of the night, and probably the coolest thing to hit Blacksburg in awhile...unless of course, you're a football fan.