Girl at the Rock Shows

I used to get so excited about Halloween. I don’t know what happened. I blame life getting in the way but I feel like it honestly didn’t hit me that Halloween is next week. Thankfully, my pick for a show on Thursday night reminded me about not only the holiday, but the joy that comes with it.

The show was at The Mission Room at The Hook & Ladder. This was a new room to me but in a familiar venue. If you like in the Twin Cities and haven’t experienced the magic and love that is “The Hook”, I highly suggest you change that. This is a very chill venue that, as soon as you step foot in, you will feel welcomed and loved. The staff is nothing short of amazing and helpful and I feel like the crowds at shows here are the same way. Need someone to watch your drink while you go to the bathroom? You got it! Looking to get a bit closer to the stage? No worries, someone will let you up there. There’s just something so “real-life” about this venue and it’s something that will keep me coming back regardless of what show is happening. As mentioned, I had been here before but only to the larger room in the building. The show I was at on Thursday was in the more intimate “Mission Room” but it had the same vibe. It was welcoming, covered in artwork, and instantly had me feeling like I was home.

Okay, enough about the venue, let’s dig into the music. Kicking things off for the four-band local showcase was Hurt You. Hurt You’s sound is very hardcore with a hint of metal thrown in there. It’s intense and aggressive but it also comes with so much heart. You got that heart from not only the lyrics, but the way that the band talked to the audience. The words between songs were very laid back and almost lazily said but the passion with which these words were said is what really had me falling head over heels for this band. At one point, the bassist spoke of feeling unwanted in the hardcore scene and how hardcore should feel welcoming to all. Okay, absolutely paraphrasing here and their words were much better thought out but, long story short, what they were saying really resonated with me as I have felt like a fish out of water when it comes to hardcore shows even though hardcore is my bread and butter. It was a great way to kick off the night and, even though I was going into this show completely blind when it came to all four bands, it made me feel comfortable with the space I was in, the people around me, and the music I was hearing.

Following Hurt You was Ice Climber. Let’s go ahead and get this out of the way– I didn’t quite understand this band. That being said, their creativity, like the words and music of Hurt You, stuck with me. Musically, Ice Climber was all over the place. There was one point during their quick set where they went from a dark and airy ambient sound to punk-influenced chaos in the blink of an eye. I felt like there were moments where there was true musicianship but it sadly just sounded like a hodge-podge of sounds to me. That’s the beauty of music and going to shows like this. You may not know what you’re going to get and you may not like everything that you hear but, at the same time, you appreciate everything about every band. Sure, it wasn’t for me and I could have walked out but this band was doing their thing and every member was doing it with a firey passion and that was more than enough to have me stuck in my spot and just taking it all in.

Ice Climber may not have been quite for me but Mystery Meat, the third act of the night, absolutely was. Apparently the theme of the night, outside of kicking off the Halloween weekend, was genre-jumping music. Mystery Meat’s set was perfectly situated in the punk scene but they traveled throughout that genre giving the audience songs that ranged from surf-punk to a more Distillers riot grrrl vibe. At one point, the band played an instrumental track that felt a bit more groovy than any punk song I had ever heard yet it still had Mystery Meat’s signature punk edge to it. Again, it was the passion that came with their set that had me absolutely in love. I didn’t care what this band was singing about or if there were imperfections in the track, they were giving me love and heart along with a semi-familiar sound.

Okay, when it comes to describing what happened next and how I finished off my night, well, I just don’t know. My Instagram story said it all, “I’m not sure what’s happening but I think I love it”. That’s what I have to say about Count Spookula. Count Spookula’s set started off in an almost ritualistic way with the pumpkin-headed performer going around the audience and putting fake blood on onlookers’ foreheads. Think church of pumpkinhead and you can kind of envision what was happening around me. This way of opening set didn’t give me any indication as to what was to come so I wasn’t prepared or unprepared for anything but what happened next had me oh so confused and with a smile that stretched across my face for the rest of the night.

The music of Count Spookula, like his performance, is campy. It’s over-the-top theatrical music with a slight 80s synth vibe and ridiculously ridiculous vocals. It’s the kind of music that almost feels like a joke and not something I would listen to in my free time but, in the moment, it was perfect. My favorite song of the night was (what I can only assume is his biggest hit) a song with lyrics that revolved around, “Oh f*#%, it’s a werewolf. I hope that m*$&@#fu*@$% don’t bite”. The song goes on to replace werewolf with other Halloweeny themed creatures. Again, totally campy and Count Spookula’s voice just adds to that yet it was so fun and my, my friends, and everyone around us laughing harder than we probably all have in days.

Thursday night was a kick-off to Halloween weekend. Although my love for the holiday has definitely faded over the years, the performances last night, the costumes around me, and Count Spookula had me feeling the holiday spirit. Now excuse me while I dig deep for a last-minute costume.

Line Up:

Hurt You

Ice Climber

Mystery Meat

Count Spookula

Venue: Hook & Ladder

Smell-O-Meter: A couple wiffs of the devil’s lettuce

Average Age of the Crowd: 23

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 6 out of 10

Amount of Beer Spilled On Me While Walking Around- 0

Broken Bones- None Noticed

Spotted Flying Through The Air- Nothing

Fights- None Witnessed

Pukers- 0

Passed Out Kids- 0

Idiots Taken Out By Security – 0

How Irritated I Was With The Audience – 0 out of 10

How Many Times I’ve Seen These Bands Before (or at least how many times I can remember)-

Hurt You– 0

Ice Climber – 0

Mystery Meat – 0

Count Spookula – 0

Celebrity Sightings – Ann of Mostly MN Music

Overall Score –8 out of 10

Show on Deck — Armor of Sleep / Early November / The Spill Canvas

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