Girl at the Rock Shows

Some people like to travel to experience new things. Traveling is fun but, as a person who absolutely hates flying, it’s almost most anxiety and stress inducing than enjoyable for me. This is why I use different concerts to experience new things and new worlds and to say that the show at The 7th Street Entry on Sunday night was a whole new world for me would not be an understatement.

First up was REIKI. Although I had never heard of this local act before, my boyfriend had texted me just before the set telling me I had to let him know what I thought of the show. Although my first response was a snarky, “You can go ahead and read my review tomorrow morning.”, I couldn’t hold back from texting him after the first song proclaiming my love for REIKI. REIKI told the audience right off the bat that he was going to take us through punk, rage, and R&B. At first, I didn’t quite know what that meant but quickly caught on. He opened up the set with two very heartfelt tracks that showcased his immense vocal power before jumping into more high-energy tracks. I mean it when I say high energy. I remember the first time I saw Bob Vylan live and that’s the vibe I was getting from REIKI’s set. Although it started off gorgeous and calm, it ended with a sweaty mess of people and me out of breath just due to the pure excitement and rush I was getting from him. This is the first time I’ve seen REIKI and written about him but it definitely won’t be my last.

Following REIKI was 4TUNAT (get it? “Fortunate”?). Sunday night was the first time this Atlanta-based musician has performed in Minnesota but, like the other acts that took the stage on Sunday, it was clear that it wouldn’t be his last. 4TUNAT’s sound was very much in line with the other hip-hop/rap acts of the night but had this special sauce to it that I could only describe as a hint of southern rap. There was soul in his sound but also something a bit more aggressive and in your face. I may have been completely green to 4TUNAT’s music but the young, nearly sold-out audience was not and before he even had a chance to kick off his quick set, the audience was shouting out song requests. It was this connection with the audience that was my favorite part of 4TUNAT’s set. There was just something so real and raw about said connection and the way that all came to a head as the audience pressured the musician to get into the pit for the last song really said it all. Minneapolis loves 4TUNAT, 4TUNAT loves Minneapolis.

Things were moving super fast on Sunday night. Part of that was due to the energy that every act was giving the audience and the other part was due to the fact that sets were uber short. As in about 15-20 minutes short. It was a whole new way of experiencing live music as I am used to longer sets but I kind of liked it. Before the third act even took the stage, I felt like I had lived a thousand lives through the music and performances of REIKI and 4TUNAT. It’s a hard thing to put into words but we were only half way through the show and I was already dreading the end of it.

Following the high-energy that came with the first two openers was the final opening act of the night- Casper Sage. Casper absolutely still brought a sense of energy to the stage but his energy came in a different form. Instead of turning the audience into a sweaty mess of a pit, Casper gave the audience a chance to get in touch with their feelings in a super beautiful way. His music was a bit more soft and tender focusing a bit more on vocal talent than running around the stage like a madman. I wish I had more to say about Casper’s set as it was truly beautiful but I feel like that’s all I can think to say about it– the beauty. It was a nice change of pace and gave the night a super cool twist before going back into the insanity laid out by the first two acts.

The young audience seemed to be into every act that took the stage on Sunday night but really hit a high as headliner midwxst took the stage. That high was so, well, high that midwxst had to ask the audience to calm down a little bit after just one song. I have to admit, that was a first for me. midwxst explained that the audience needed to chill if only ever so slightly so he could give them what they paid for– a flawless show. Although I don’t think his pleads for calm really worked, he was definitely able to give us all a show full of energy, fire, and intensity.

Joined on stage by a small band, midwxst’s music continued into the rap/ hip-hop world that I would relate closest to cloud-hop. I’m not sure if that’s the right classification as this was a whole new world for me, but there was this punk DIY attitude that flowed through each song. It was this element that made the music relatable and accessible for someone like me who wouldn’t quite consider themselves to be a rap fan. Sure, the obvious connection would be the way the audience was moshing to each song but, really, it was more that connection in the music. Much like Casper’s set, I find myself lost for the right words to describe what I’m trying to get across to you but I hope you get it!

Sunday night’s show was a whole new world for me but it was a world full of energy, angst, and intensity so I felt right at home. Looking back, I don’t know why the show even ended up on my calendar as I knew nothing about the acts playing but I know that there is a reason for everything when it comes to the shows that I chose to cover and I am beyond grateful that I kicked my week off with midwxst, Casper Sage, 4TUNAT, and REIKI.

Line Up:

REIKI

4TUNAT

Casper Sage

midwxst

Venue: 7th Street Entry

Smell-O-Meter: Sweat and BO

Average Age of the Crowd: 16

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 1

Mosh-ability- 9.4 out of 10

Amount of Beer Spilled On Me While Walking Around- 0 (Trick question– all ages shows here mean no alcohol being sold)

Broken Bones- None Noticed

Spotted Flying Through The Air- nothing

Fights- None Witnessed

Pukers- 0

Passed Out People- 0

Idiots Taken Out By Security – 0

How Irritated I Was With The Audience – 3 out of 10

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

REIKI– 0

4TUNAT – 0

Casper Sage – 0

midwxst – 0

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score – 8.2 out of 10

Show on Deck — Jazmin Bean / Lucy Loone

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