Girl at the Rock Shows

48 hours, 25 musicians, 5 bands, 1 stage. That was the tagline for First Avenue’s 1st ever rock lottery and, naturally, I was intrigued. The event started with a draft on Wednesday night at The Depot (the restaurant right next to First Avenue that has the best vegan brat that I often dream about). Sadly, I was unable to attend the draft but can only imagine the buzz in the air as local musicians were hooked up with other local musicians to form bands that had literally 48 hours to create a set to perform at the First Avenue mainroom. Although I wasn’t there for that, I was there on Friday night to see what these bands had come up with in the short time they were together and to say I was blown away would be an understatement.

I thought this whole review was going to be about the five bands that performed and although that’s not the route I’m going to go here, I do want to give a shout to all of the bands that performed. I knew what the idea was behind the night but, had I not, I could have easily been fooled that I was at one of First Avenue’s signature ‘best new bands’ nights. All five acts that took the stage just had this feeling of togetherness as if these musicians had been playing together for years and that, alone, left me speechless but, again, that’s not what I want to tell you about or what I took away from Friday night’s show.

Music is about creativity. It’s a reason that I think I fell so deep into this world. I’d like to think I’m a creative person and, as I got deeper and deeper into the world of music, I realized that I was surrounded by like minded people. As I’ve grown this blog and other endeavors, I’ve found myself with some of the most amazing opportunities. From covering local shows in dive bars to being able to see mega-superstars in arenas, I’ve literally damn near seen it all. Unfortunately, I feel like as you start to climb the ladder, you realize that creativity is lacking. Don’t get me wrong, there’s talent throughout all forms of music and bands of all levels but you can’t really stand there and tell me that you felt a creative spark while watching Taylor Swift the other weekend. Sure, you got a production and a hell of a show but everything was so planned. Nothing about Friday night was planned and that’s what made it so brilliant.

It was amazing to watch as local musicians that I was both familiar and unfamiliar with performed songs that they literally only had forty-eight hours to figure out. Forty-eight hours may seem like a long time but these are also people with other commitments. I heard one of the musicians talk about how his group was only together for about six hours out of those forty-eight yet this pulled off a flawless set. Beyond that, you had five people with completely different backgrounds and tastes coming together to write this music and plan out a set. There was even one of the acts that had put together a logo and then had t-shirts made that were thrown out during their set. The creative juices were clearly flowing and I feel like it was a good reminder of why I chose this whole scene as my lifestyle, not just a hobby.

I think it goes without saying but everything I just laid out is also a testament to the talent that graced the First Avenue mainstage on Friday. Sure, some of these musicians are seasoned professionals but they were being put in a brand new position with this event. Even with that in mind, I heard some of the most amazing and beautiful guitar solos, drum fills, bass lines, cello parts, key runs, and vocals of all time. Putting these musicians in unfamiliar territory seemed to only enhance their talent because they were allowed to be themselves on stage, not constrained to that band they have been playing with for ages that has that one member who seems to always take charge.

The styles of the music mirrored this thought. It was all over the place. I even heard an almost unrecognizable but amazing cover of Blink 182’s “All The Small Things” from one of the bands. I heard jazz, funk, rock, rap– the list goes on and on– all wrapped into a single set in a flawless way creating a sound that was so obscure and different but also so perfect. It kind of goes back to the idea that I could have been fooled that all of the bands that performed on Friday night had been performing together for years.

Beyond what was happening on stage was what was going on in the packed audience. That’s right, I said “packed”. Sure, it wasn’t sold out but I was beyond impressed with how many people had come out for this event. It was a mix of familiar faces and people who had probably never been to First Avenue before. Everyone in the audience (and I mean everyone) had a smile on their faces. Some were watching friends and bandmates on stage. Others had clearly just stumbled into this event or had been intrigued by this whole idea. Regardless of what brought people into the legendary First Avenue on Friday, it was clear that this idea was a hit and everyone was thoroughly enjoying the music, atmosphere, and people around them.

This article is all over the place. I realize that and I apologize but I think my thoughts on the night are so scattered due to the excitement I felt throughout the performances. I was just so lost in the atmosphere of creativity, talent, and passion that it’s hard to put it all into words. One thing I do know is that I hope this isn’t the last time First Avenue does a rock lottery. This was truly, hands down, one of the coolest events I’ve ever experienced.

For more information on who played and who was in what band, check out the link HERE!

Shameless Self Promotion- Join My Patreon Here!

Buy Me a Coffee (Seriously!)