Girl at the Rock Shows

I broke one of my cardinal rules yesterday. If you don’t know what you’re going to see, don’t look it up. I know that sounds like a silly rule but, as I explained yesterday when sharing out the single from the headlining act of Monday night’s show, I feel like not having a clue what I’m getting into when it comes to a show leads to a more organic review with zero pre-conceived notions about the music. I broke that rule on Monday by listening to $iah’s brand new track “HUSH!”. I know I wasn’t supposed to but I couldn’t help myself. Thankfully, listening to this one track had me excited about the show but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous that the sound wouldn’t hold up when it came to a live performance as I made my way to The 7th Street Entry.

Getting the night started off right (and I mean it when I say that) was St. Cloud-based Identity Crisis. Although I thought I knew what to expect from the headliner of the show, I had no clue what this band was all about. It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with them. Although young, this band has perfected a straight-up hardcore sound that comes with intensity and passion. As soon as they started, all I could think of to do was to turn to my boyfriend and just give him my nod of approval. I was speechless and absolutely lost in my happy place. Hardcore is one of my favorite genres. It’s intense and aggressive but gives me a sense of release when it comes to the stress and anxiety that comes with each day. That being said, I feel like it’s hard to find a hardcore band that really “hits” for me. Identity Crisis hit and then some.

The best thing about this band is that they weren’t trying to be anything other than what they were. The young kids essentially just put their heads down, played their hearts out, and didn’t quite care what anyone in the audience thought of them. That doesn’t sound like the best thing but in this genre, I feel like it’s something that is forgotten. A lot of hardcore these days is about an image but, for Identity Crisis, it was clearly just about the music which was absolutely flawless.

Following the perfection that was Identity Crisis was Popstar. I have to be honest, this trio didn’t get off on the right foot for me. As they were taking the stage, they had a track of celebrities talking about how Popstar is the greatest band ever. It was just an almost cocky way to start a set but I also understood why they did it. Although it wasn’t the intro for me, I waited patiently for them to jump into their set which ended up being a unique blend of rap-rock, alt-rock, industrial, and slight nods to something a bit more intense and metal. I liked how their sound was unlike anything else I’ve been seeing lately. The industrial influence that reigned supreme throughout their set was definitely giving me Nine Inch Nail vibes but it was so much more than that with all of the other elements that Popstar hides throughout their sound.

Although the first band was called Identity Crisis, I feel like that name may have been more fitting for the third act to take the intimate stage on Monday. Like usual, that sounds a bit more harsh than I mean for it to but the truth is, MVRROW’s sound was a bit all over the place and, at times, it truly felt like this band was having a bit of an identity crisis. From some tracks that had a straight up metalcore influence to others that almost dabbled into the folk metal side of things, I felt like I just could not figure this group out when it came to what they were. That all being said, MVRROW had me stuck in the palm of their hands throughout their set specifically their vocalist, Paige. Paige’s voice was seriously one of the best voices I’ve heard in the local scene for a long time. It was smooth but intense. There were moments where I would put money on the fact that they had had some classical training just with the way her voice seamless flowed from note to note. This band may not have quite figured out what their sound is going to be (or maybe they just want to dabble in a bit of everything which is totally cool as well) but Paige’s vocals will keep me coming back time and time again.

Closing out the local Monday night showcase was $iah. As mentioned, $iah had literally just dropped their new single “HUSH!” on Monday morning so the performance was a bit of a celebration of this single and more. Another thing I’ve already mentioned was how I was a bit worried about how the vibe of this single and $iah’s overall sound would translate to a live show. Sonically, $iah is a bit like MVRROW where it’s all over the place. Think Yungblud but with an EDM influence and vocals that, at times, rival the guttural growls that you would get from a grindcore band. Again, all over the place but those descriptions are the best I can do for you. Regardless of if that gives you a sense of what $iah is all about or not, it does show that this is a high energy show which is exactly what we got from $iah and those on stage with them.

$iah didn’t just get up there and sing/scream, they gave us a little bit of everything from interpretive dance to full on rave moments where you couldn’t help but jump along to the infectious beat. It was a strange performance but a performance nonetheless that you could tell that $iah had put a lot of time and effort into. There were moments where I was a bit confused as to what was going on specifically during a small dance break where the DJ came out from behind the DJ table and started doing a very beautiful dance with the other two lovely humans that were on stage. I may not have understood how this fit the music and it definitely left me with more questions than answers but I appreciate that $iah was trying something different.

From being dunked into $iah’s world to the guest performance from Bigg Kiaa during his set to absolutely falling in love with Identity Crisis– Monday’s shows was full of little moments that made it feel like so much more than just a local show on a Monday night.

Line Up:

Identity Crisis

Popstar

MVRROW

$iah

Venue: 7th Street Entry

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 19

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 2 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 People- 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)-

Identity Crisis – 0

Popstar– 0

MVRROW – 0

$iah– 0

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score – 7.3 out of 10

Show on Deck — The Dead Century / Amateur Hour / Electric Church

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