Last night was one of my favorite nights of the year… the first outdoor show of the season!
You see, living in Minnesota is rough in the winter. You pray that you don’t have to go out in the cold and even walking to your car and driving to work seems to be the worst thing on the planet. I mean, it gets cold here. Not just brrr put a coat on cold, but more holy shit I think my blood is frozen in my veins cold. So needless to say, when Minnesotans get the opportunity to be outside without freezing, we take it and run with it.
I’m not a huge fan of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. Their music is fine and their live shows are always full of energy but they are just too calm for me to truly fall in love with. The crowd leans more towards the hippy side and I just can’t seem to connect to that crowd. But, as I said, Minnesotans will do anything outside just to be outside so of course I bought a ticket to go see Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros outside at Surly Brewery.
Surly Brewery is the brewery that I’ve written about multiple times in my blog. They are the ones that brew beers just for international metal bands that I absolutely love. Most recently, they sponsored the Amon Amarth show where they had their Asator Viking IPA on tap for that one night. I have always associated Surly with the metal scene because of those shows so it was almost shocking to see them announce this indie/hippy pop show.
This was the first show held outside at Surly’s beautiful brewery and tap room (which is a must see for people visiting the Twin Cities!). I was a bit weary because of it being the first time they are doing this. I mean, there are bound to be hiccups and the inevitable cluster that comes with a first time event but Surly (in conjunction with First Avenue) pulled it off and I was more than impressed. Sure, the lines for the Surly Beer and local food trucks were long but they moved fast and they were somehow organized. What a relief.
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros is definitely not my scene when it comes to music but it was a refreshing change from what I’ve been going to lately. The music is very up beat and almost feels like a jam session. With over ten people on stage, there is more than enough to watch and keep you entertained. Alex Ebert, the singer, has a way of dancing and moving that makes it impossible for you to stand still. Even if you don’t know the words or even what’s coming next, you can’t help but start to bob up and down and sway side to side.
All of the songs seemed to blend together during the set until I heard the one song that I really knew. My best friend Breauna moved to Ohio a couple of years ago with her son. I think of them and miss them every single day of my life. For some reason, whenever I hear the song “Home” by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros my eyes swell up with tears and I think of them. The song has lyrics about home being wherever you are with the people you love. It’s a beautiful song in itself but to have it be attached to such a good friend that I miss so much every single day makes it that much more beautiful.
Last night was the first of what’s surely to be a summer of some good food and drinks, great friends, and amazing outdoor concerts. Grab a friend, have one too many drinks, and make your way to an outdoor show. You will not be disappointed.
Line Up:
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Venue: Surly Festival Field
Sausage Fest Meter- 2 out of 10
Average Age of the Crowd- 29
Crowd Surfers- None
Stage Divers- None
Danceability- Extreme
Broken Bones- None
Drunkards Taken Out By Security- None Noticed
Celebrity Sightings- None
Drink of Choice- Anything/ Everything Surly
Overall Score- 8.5 out of 10
Show on Deck- By The Thousands/ Terraform
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