Girl at the Rock Shows

Another day, another show. I’ll be honest, this current concert bender has me feeling a little exhausted but I know I need to get all of my shows in now before things slow down for the holidays so– can’t stop, won’t stop– after a quick stop at my house after work, I hit the road to go to one of my multiple homes away from home– the 7th Street Entry.

The audience wasn’t huge when I walked into the dark and intimate venue but that didn’t change the sense of excitement that was in the air. Sure, there weren’t many people there but the people that were there were clearly excited and ready for the two-band showcase that was about to take place. I was relieved to finally have some space at this show since the majority of the shows I’ve been covering lately have been packed and sold-out but it also broke my heart a wee bit. Although I couldn’t speak on behalf of opening act Doom Flower since I had never seen them before or even heard of them if I’m being honest, I could speak to what the headlining act, Neva Dinova, was going to bring and it would be a set full of passion and love that was not to be missed.

Before we get into the unsurprisingly amazing set from Neva Dinova, let’s chat a bit about Chicago-based Doom Flower. Their set had me lost in a world of dark haze and emotional instrumentation. If I had to put these guys in just one box, it would probably be indie-pop but that doesn’t do their sound justice. On top of that indie pop vibe, there’s this dark and atmospheric air to their sound. From the hushed vocals provided by Jess Price that seemed to slide seamlessly from note to note to the almost dissonant guitar sounds that Jess’ voice somehow smoothed over to make less dissonant and more beautiful, there was something so dark about Doom Flower’s sound yet so beautiful. It makes the name ‘Doom Flower’ make sense and I loved that about this band so much.

A mixture of my excitement to see the headliner and the fact that Doom Flower’s songs all seemed fairly short meant that their set was over in what felt like a blink of the eye but, even with that, they packed a punch with every song that gave the growing audience. Tuesday night may have been my first introduction to this band but it had me intrigued and, once I’m done with writing this article and get all caught up on the day job and other things, I definitely plan to go on a deep dive of their material.

It wasn’t that long ago when I saw Neva Dinova last. They opened up for a personal favorite of mine, Cursive, back in May of this year at The Fine Line. Although I had been listening to Neva Dinova for years, that was my first time seeing them live. I remember finding their set as exciting as I did sleepy. Okay, I know that sounds terrible but their sound is a wee bit atmospheric, a bit like Doom Flower, and, when they opened for Cursive, I feel like I kind of leaned into that atmospheric side of the band and spent their set drifting in and out of consciousness in the best way possible. I decided early on on Tuesday that I was going to lean into the other side of their set for this show– the more amped up rockin’ side of Neva Dinova. This worked out super well as I felt like the band was in the same mindset and was giving the audience that had grown to a slightly better than modest a set full of more full-bodied songs.

As vocalist Jake Bellows explained, the band was bringing some half-cooked songs on the road to try out and, you know, cook them a bit more. This added a sense of excitement to their set as we all stood there taking in the new music of this tried and true band that goes back to the early 2000s. There was one point after a track where an audience member shouted out, “I really liked that one!”. That happens a lot at shows, I know, but it was the way that the band responded. The trio looked at each other with grins of approval before Jake turned to the audience member and said, “Yeah?! We like it too.” It was that kind of banter that highlighted an already stunning set and a reason that, regardless of what else was going on in town on Tuesday night, I knew I had to be at the Neva Dinova show.

There’s something so raw about a performance from Neva Dinova. That rawness comes from not only the music, but also the passion that can be felt radiating off the stage. Seeing this band live will make you smile because it’s clear from the first note onward that this band doesn’t take themselves too seriously. From moments where Jake addresses the crowd with his awkward and typically self-deprecating humor to the way you can catch drummer Roger Lewis sneak sips of his beer in the middle of songs. It’s little moments like that that make Neva Dinova a can’t miss band but, at the same time, there’s no question that they have a passion for the music they are putting out there. They may not take themselves seriously but their music is a serious business and that dichotomy is a truly glorious one that I wish more bands had.

I wish I could say more on both Doom Flower and Neva Dinova but the fact is that Tuesday night’s show was one of those nights where I felt like I struggled to put on my journalist hat. Between the music and the atmosphere in the room, I really just wanted to stand there with a drink in hand and take it all in– get lost in the music. It was almost like the amount of fun and passion that the bands both had on stage was reminding me why I got into this business in the first place and I was trying to revert back to the good ol’ days when I was just a random person going to random shows. This means that I don’t have as many notes on the show as I typically do but, at the same time, ended up having one of the best nights I’ve had in a long while.

Line Up:

Doom Flower

Neva Dinova

Venue: 7th Street Entry

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 35

Crowd Surfers- None

Stage Divers- None

Groove-ability- 3 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)-

Doom Flower– 0

Neva Dinova – 1

Celebrity Sightings – Ann of Mostly MN Music

Overall Score – 8.5 out of 10

Show on Deck — Aqua

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