Girl at the Rock Shows

Someone asked me if I knew how to live without going to a concert every night. This is what I was thinking about as I rushed through dinner and dishes to make it downtown in time for my show of choice on Monday night. The fact is, I truly don’t know if I would know how to live without my shows. I don’t understand what people do at night when they don’t go to shows. Sure, you make dinner and watch some TV but is that really fulfilling? Honestly, my thoughts went from funny about how I could actually have a clean house and how my meal choice would go beyond my Taco Bell order but then they got dark and I realized that I really don’t know how to be a normal human. This is where my mind was at but, as soon as I got into the 7th Street Entry and felt the bass pumping through my body, I realized that these thoughts aren’t worth my time. The fact is, shows are my life and I don’t see that changing anytime soon and I was just thankful to live in a town where, on a Monday night, I was just a quick drive away from seeing some amazing music.

The always lovely and always gorgeous Natalie Fideler got the show started right at 8 PM. I’ve written about Natalie many times but, in case you haven’t been reading or just don’t listen to what I say half the time, I’m here to remind you to check out this amazing musician immediately. Natalie’s sound is pop-punk fueled but comes off as a bit more of a singer-songwriter style with her delivery. Joined on stage by two bandmates, Natalie’s set was predictable to me but I honestly wanted that from her. Why reinvent the wheel when it’s already so perfect? Her charm seeped through the microphone and into the audience with every song that passed.

Between songs, she continued to let her positive and bubbly yet raw energy take over the intimate space. She explained that she had merch for sale in the back but you had to buy merchandise from the other two acts before buying hers, you know, the holy trinity style. Although that moment had nothing to do with her music, I feel like it was one of those times where you just really understand a musician which adds a sense of depth to her music. Natalie is an amazing musician but one of the best things about her is the way she seems to be constantly grinding with live shows and is constantly so supportive of the music scene.

You’ve heard of dad rock before but have you heard of Mom Rock? They were the band that followed Natalie’s gorgeous opening set and, well, move over dad rock, I’m a Mom Rock girl now. Although I have and will probably keep referring to Monday night’s show as a local show, Mom Rock is actually based in Nashville. That being said, I’m going to go ahead and claim them as a Minneapolis band if only for the night. The reason for this is that they absolutely slayed their set on Monday and definitely had a Midwestern energy to them that made them fit in so perfectly to the venue, the crowd, and just the overall atmosphere of the 7th Street Entry.

A trio dressed in matching NASCAR styled jumpsuits, Mom Rock introduced themselves as “America’s #1 no frills rock band”. Although that’s not too far from the truth as their sound was definitely a no frills rock sound, it was also so much more than that. Bear with me while I try to explain this but think Vundabar meets 5 Seconds of Summer. You had a very DIY vibe with raw, yet comical at times, lyrics matched with a more commercialized pop vibe that peeked in here and there throughout the set. Maybe that comparison is way off and more the vodka lemonade I was sipping on talking but it’s the best way I can think of to explain Mom Rock’s sound. If that description doesn’t do it for you, no worries. Just take a listen to this band and let their endless energy take you over. After you’ve done that, try to look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t want to see them perform live.

Closing out the already fantastic night of music was [legit] local band Odd Prospect. Kind of like the show I saw on Sunday night, Odd Prospect is one of those names that I keep seeing pop up on various flyers around town. It had me intrigued and, with the slow down of touring acts coming in Minnesota because, let’s be honest, who wants to come up here in the dead of winter, Monday night was my chance to finally see this local power trio.

All I knew about Odd Prospect when walking into the show on Monday was their name but I quickly became obsessed with this group as soon as they jumped into their headlining set. Although I feel like they weren’t on stage for long, they packed as much as they could into their time. The band seamlessly transitioned from a modern almost PUP feeling sound to something a bit more intense and weathered like Suicidal Tendencies in the blink of an eye. I know that transitioning from those two things sounds like it would be unnatural and, honestly, a bit weird, but Odd Prospect did it so well creating a truly unique sound that kept you on your toes while constantly giving you moments that felt recognizable.

It didn’t matter what band you were there to see on Sunday or if, like me, you had just walked in blindly, you left the venue at the end of the night with three new favorite bands. No, scratch that, you walked away with three new obsessions and loves. That’s the way a night should be spent. Not just sitting around and watching terrible TV, going to see live music and experiencing life in general.

Someone asked me if I would know how to live without going to a concert every day. The answer is easy– no nor do I want to figure it out. Concerts are my lifeline and it’s nights like Monday night when you walk in blind and walk out feeling energized and full of life that keep me going through this thing called life.

Line Up:

Natalie Fideler

Mom Rock

Odd Prospect

Venue: 7th Street Entry

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 24

Crowd Surfers- None

Stage Divers- None

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)-

Natalie Fideler – 2

Mom Rock – 0

Odd Prospect – 0

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score – 8 out of 10

Show on Deck — Mrs. Doubtfire- The Musical

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