Girl at the Rock Shows

Well everyone, that’s a wrap on live shows for me in 2023. It’s kind of insane to think back on all of the shows I went to this year. I won’t get into the numbers quite yet as I am still working through that for my “end of the year” lists but I will say it was a hell of a year. I wanted to end the night on a high note but also chose to end the night on a show that I knew nothing about. Was it going to be the high note I wanted? Or was it going to be a flop leaving me searching for one last show to cap off my year?

As soon as my friend and I walked into the 7th Street Entry, we were greeted by a sound of our past– EDM. Neither of us are big into the scene anymore but often reminisce on the time we were in that scene. Although my time there was short lived, hers was not and we both kind of laughed as we felt ourselves transported back to those often messy days. The set was a collaborative b2b (or back-to-back for those not in the know) set from Phib and WNDRLND. From solo tracks done by each of the artists to tracks that showcased the both of them, I loved their take on electronic music. It was fun and fresh but, most importantly, they gave us a show. Phib spent most of his time behind the computer but still smiling and nodding at the crowd in a genuine way. WNDRLND, aka Vante Jackson, was the show stopper of the set as he danced throughout the set without a care in the world. He made it a fun set to watch and helped me relate to the music that I would otherwise find fairly unrelatable. Although I was completely out of my element and lost in a bit of a haze of memories of my time in a scene where this was the norm, I loved every second of their set and it was one heck of a way to kick off my night.

Following the Phib b2b WNDRLND set was the gorgeous TaliaKnight. Beatmaker, DJ, graphic deisgner- she does it all. Her sound was a bit more refined and mature when compared to the opening set but it was still just as good. I found myself constantly having to shake my mind out of the atmospheric haze that her music made for me. It was calm and soothing while having an undeniable energy behind it that made you really hone in on all of the beats and samples encompassed in her work. Unfortunately, her set was not as full of life as the opening one when it came to her live performance. She honestly just stood behind her computer fiddling with things. I know it’s so much more than that and creating music like this can’t be easy but I would have liked even just a couple of moments where TaliaKnight addressed the crowd or at least got the crowd excited with something other than her music. Although I felt that this was a missed opportunity, I, again, did love her music and definitely think that her lo-fi inspired but hi-fi feeling tracks will become a staple in my daily playlists.

The only act on the bill on Thursday night that I knew anything about was student 1. I have seen student 1 (Lulseged “Lu” Afework) a couple of other times and have always fallen head over heels for this performer but it has been some time since I have been able to witness his magic live so I was stoked as he took the stage. Although it has been some time, nothing has changed with student 1. He hit the microphone with a sense of ferocity but also a sense of Midwest sensibility. His rap style ranged from a classic rap vibe to a more Minnesota hip-hop feeling which, as you have caught onto by now, is definitely a favorite of mine. Regardless of what style track Student 1 was playing, he had the audience caught in the palm of his hand throughout his set. Numerous tracks were followed by an organic, “Let’s Go Stu” chant that left both Student 1 and his DJ laughing. It was a cute moment during a perfect showing of the immense talent in the Twin Cities and it truly made my night. Multiple times throughout the set, someone would shout, “I love you!” to student 1 which would be quickly followed up by, “I love you more… I mean that… Seriously.” Comments like this are nothing new when it comes to performers bantering with the crowd but you felt how honest and real student 1 was being during those responses.

After Student 1’s set, my friend and I popped outside to meet up with my boyfriend who was attending a show at the attached First Avenue mainroom. We were only outside for a couple of minutes but, as we stepped foot back into the 7th Street Entry, it was clear that everything had changed. The previously empty stage had been filled with nine humans (at least I think it was nine?). My friend and I were laughing at each other while trying to figure out what we had missed. Our confused looks and chuckles quickly came to a halt as BLOOD $MOKE BODY started into their set. Although BLOOD $MOKE BODY was a new name to me, the people behind this project were not. Formerly known as Nazeem & Spencer Joles, the set that this group gave the nearly sold-out audience on Thursday night was just as intense and eclectic as I would expect from the people behind Nazeem & Spencer Joles. From intense and almost aggressive raps to more sun-soaked hip-hop that had me grooving out in the perfect way– musically BLOOD $MOKE BODY’s set was all over the place but their intense energy never faltered. A live guitar and live saxophone set this band apart even more than their sound and energy already had leading to a truly unforgettable performance that I hope I get to experience again soon.

Post-dubstep, future bass, hyperpop, EDM, electronic– there are a million words to describe the music of headliner Shrimpnose but none of them will do his sound justice. Much like the previous acts of the night, Shrimpnose’s music was mostly foreign to me. I could pick up on some nods to music that I listen to on the daily but, beyond that, his electronic mash-up of all sorts of sounds and styles hit me in such an odd way it was as if I was trying to get my footing while listening to him play. Although the sounds that Shrimpnose was giving me were way out of my norm, it was obvious why this Minneapolis native, Los Angeles-based musician and had nearly sold out the 7th Street Entry. He did everything with a sense of heart and passion that just could not be ignored. To some, it may have looked like just a dude behind a computer hitting some buttons but, to me and clearly to the rest of the audience, we were watching Shrimpnose pour his heart into each beat he played over the PA while letting heart-on-his-sleeve show with every passing word of the samples he used. I know that I don’t have the right words to describe what he was doing on stage or even the perfect words to describe the atmosphere he had created late on Thursday night but I know that I fell head over heels in love with Shrimpnose throughout his set.

Thursday’s show was not my normal show. It wasn’t one that I was overly excited for but it was one that intrigued me. Part of me wanted a show full of nostalgia and familiar songs to cap off my night but, as I drove home from downtown on Thursday night, I realized that my night spent with the aforementioned musicians was the best way to close out 2023.

Line Up:

Phib

WNDRLND

TaliaKnight

student 1

BLOOD $MOKE BODY

Shrimpnose

Venue: 7th Street Entry

Smell-O-Meter: So much devil’s lettuce

Average Age of the Crowd: 27

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)-

Phib – 0

WNDRLND – 0

TaliaKnight – 0

student 1 – 0

BLOOD $MOKE BODY – 0

Shrimpnose – 0

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score – 8.1 out of 10

Show on Deck — Laura Jane Grace

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