Girl at the Rock Shows

Just the other day I spent almost an entire article talking about how amazing the local music scene is but I completely neglected to talk to you about how amazing the crowd here in the Twin Cities is. I mean, it really is something special. I have been going to shows and festivals across the country for decades at this point and I always look forward to coming home purely because of the crowds. Why am I telling you this? Because the crowd is what made the show for me on Thursday night at The Fine Line.

Let’s get one thing straight, I know nothing about bluegrass music. I honestly felt like a bit of an imposter as I walked into the venue and found a spot for the opening act. I know I like the sound of a banjo but, beyond that, I honestly always compare bluegrass to country music and I know that’s wrong on so many levels and easily could have gotten me kicked out of the show on Thursday. Although I felt a bit out of place, I loved hearing the conversations swirl around me as I got my camera all set up and ready to go. The conversations all revolved around music which was honestly a bit bizarre to me. As someone who lives and breathes music, I find it hard to talk to people sometimes and that’s why I tend to keep to myself at shows. Seeing other people get as excited about music as I am on a daily basis had me thrilled to be where I was. Sure, the scene was a bit foreign to me but the conversations made my heart full.

I could have eavesdropped on all of the conversations happening around me for hours but, after just a couple of minutes, the house lights went down and opening act Armchair Boogie took the stage. Hailing from Wisconsin, Armchair Boogie is definitely a bluegrass band but with a twist. Instead of being a traditional bluegrass band and forgoing the drums, Armchair Boogie had drums that really drove their nearly hour long set all the way through.

I have always been a fan of the banjo for some reason. I think it’s because of the sound of it but I really can’t expand on that. That’s okay though. I’m only telling you this to lead into the fact that I was completely captivated by Augie Doherty, the banjo player (or is it banjoist) of Armchair Boogie. There was something so organic about the way he was playing. I loved the way he would close his eyes at certain points during the set while pickin’ along like his fingers were on fire. I know this was such a small moment from Armchair Boogie’s lengthy opening act but it was something that stood out to me and made me feel a little less out of place in the unknown world that is the bluegrass scene.

Armchair Boogie was great but it was clear as they left the stage and the sound techs started turning it over for the headlining act that the majority of the audience was there for said headliners. The conversations around me went back to talking about that one time people saw this band out in Colorado or out at that one festival where these was a giant storm that took out a couple of tents or something like that. It truly seemed like everyone around me had a story about Kitchen Dwellers which both made me feel a bit more out of place but also stoked about what was about to happen.

Kitchen Dwellers seem to take a bit more of a serious approach to their bluegrass. Don’t get me wrong, it was still a fun set but I felt where Armchair Boogie leaned a bit more into a rock n’ roll vibe, Kitchen Dwellers laid heavy into a more jam band approach to the style. Don’t get me wrong, their set was absolutely still rocking and I definitely heard a little bit of everything from electronic to metal influences throughout their lengthy two set performance but, overall, it just felt a bit more jam than anything else. I’ll be honest, jam bands aren’t my favorite and I prefer a bit more structure in my music but the way Kitchen Dwellers was able to give you the best of both worlds had me sold.

Musically, I was in a completely new world. It was chill and instead of people pushing and shoving their way into a sweaty mess, the audience seemed to be doing– well, I don’t know what they were doing. Some people were just standing there, others swaying to the beat, a couple just carrying on with daily conversations, a few hanging onto the bar– I may not have known how to enjoy the music but, based on the audience, it didn’t really matter. The organic vibe of the music seemed to crash over the audience in a beautiful way. Everyone was enjoying the night however they wanted to but the one constant was the smiles on everyone’s faces. Instead of snarky comments when people tried to pass through the nearly sold-out audience to get a better spot, people were inviting them and making space. Again, much like all of the other things I’ve mentioned in this post, this was just a small glimpse into Thursday night but it’s something that stood out to me.

**Disclaimer– Due to the sold out nature of the show, lack of photo pit, insanely amazing light show, and my need to go to the bathroom between sets, I lost my spot and was unable to get any solid pictures of Kitchen Dwellers. I guess I’ll just have to see them again soon to redeem myself!

I knew next to nothing about the bluegrass scene walking into the show on Thursday night and, even as I left, I still felt like I knew nothing about the scene when it came to the technical side of things. What I did leave knowing is that being a face in the crowd on Thursday night was a thrill and I can’t wait to hopefully have the chance to do it again at another bluegrass show here in the Twin Cities.

Line Up:

Armchair Boogie

Kitchen Dwellers

Venue: Fine Line

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 42

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 1 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)-

Armchair Boogie – 0

Kitchen Dwellers– 0

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score –7.8 out of 10

Show on Deck — Kitchen Dwellers / Armchair Boogie

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