I haven’t felt like myself lately. Exhaustion? Absolutely. Depression? Maybe. Stress? Definitely. Regardless, things have just felt off lately and I’ve honestly been ditching shows that I normally would kill for but I had to break the cycle. I had to get off the couch and get to a show so that’s exactly what I did on Wednesday night.
Kicking things off for this gorgeous show was the only and only Katy Vernon. Although I have never caught Katy live, I had the absolute honor of reviewing her album ‘Suit of Hearts’ a while back. I fell in love with her voice and overall energy so I was excited to finally see her perform. Sadly, due to a slight mental breakdown to a friend at the bar next door, I was only able to catch the tail end of her set. It was just her and her ukelele on stage and it was only for a few seconds but those seconds instantly had me snapped out of my funk. There was something light-hearted and freeing about the few words of her final song that I caught. My sincerest apologies to the beautifully talented Katy Vernon- I promise I will catch you again soon and, that time, actually be there for the whole thing!
Within just seconds of Katy leaving the stage, The Hive had taken over and jumped into their set with a jaw-dropping intro. Without saying a word, the band kicked off their set with a goosebump-inducing a capella track. The five voices on stage (or maybe it was four- I honestly couldn’t see if the drummer was singing but that’s beside the point) blending together in such a stunning and dazzling way. I don’t think I’ve seen an intro like this in a long time where, right off the bat, I wanted more and knew that, no matter what the band gave me during their set, it wasn’t going to be enough. Beyond the dazzling intro to The Hive that had me falling head over heels for this group- the whole idea of The Hive had my heart feeling so warm. They are a collective of musicians that rotates through female and non-binary musicians throughout the local scene while keeping a core group of just a couple of members. In layman’s terms– this band is never the same and, because of that, their set and the overall sound are constantly evolving. Their sound on Wednesday night was a bit country-influenced which, although caught me off guard given the line-up of the night, made sense after hearing about how this band works. Even with this almost southern twang that seemed to pop in and out throughout their set, no two tracks felt or sounded the same leaving the modest audience with a truly dynamic set that kept us all engaged and entertained. I could truly go on and on about this band and the amazing way they approach things and how they are giving women and non-binary musicians a place to truly shine but that would probably just bore you. Instead- you should truly check out this band for yourself. Even though I don’t know what you’ll get since no two sets from them are the same, I can promise that you will fall head over heels for this group just like I did.
Everyone who graced the 7th Street Entry stage on Wednesday was amazing and definitely deserved the attention they got from the audience but the night was about the stunning and beautifully talented Tori Evans. The show was actually a high anticipated album release show for Tori’s album ‘Sonder’. Although I had heard Tori’s name before and actually have her album sitting on my desk in the queue to be reviewed, I don’t think I realized just how young this woman was and I’d be lying if it didn’t have me a bit worried about what I was going to get from her headlining set but, within the first few words of her first song, all of my worries fell to the wayside. Tori stood behind her piano draped in pearls with a sparkling tiara on her head and instantly took control of the microphone, the stage, and the audience. There was such a sense of power and grit in her vocals– the way she just kicked right into her set was a stunning display of power and a perfect way to draw people into her gorgeous world.
Although Tori absolutely showed off her amazing vocal power, she also showed off a soft and tender side in some of her tracks which proved that, although young, she is wise beyond her years. With the band backing her vocals perfectly, I was falling in love with Tori’s music with every word she sang. Sure, some of the lines were clearly written by a teenager with the amount of back-handed angst in them but there were brilliant lines of words strung together meticulously throughout her show that had me completely sold. Maybe her music is a bit calmer and a bit more pop-based than I tend to go but her words hit right to the core and that’s more than enough for me to be an instant fan of all things Tori Evans.
I woke up this morning feeling much more like myself. The dark cloud that had been following me around seems to have lifted and I seriously only have Katy Vernon, The Hive, and Tori Evans to thank for that so, thank you to everyone who graced the stage last night. What a stunning show of true power and talent!
Line Up:
Venue: 7th Street Entry
Smell-O-Meter – None
Average Age of the Crowd- 21
Crowd Surfers- None
Mosh-ability- 0 out of 10
Stage Divers- None
Broken Bones- None
Spotted Flying Through The Air- Nothing
Fights- None Witnessed
Pukers- None Witnessed
Injuries- None Witnessed
Idiots Taken Out By Security- None Witnessed
How Many Times I’ve Seen These Bands Before (or at least how many times I can remember)-
Katy Vernon- 0
The Hive- 0
Tori Evans- 0
Celebrity Sightings- Krista- Queen PR Rep; Ann of Mostly Minnesota Music
Overall Score- 7 out of 10
Show on Deck- Louis the Child
Shameless Self Promotion- Join My Patreon Here!
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