Girl at the Rock Shows

Wednesday night was not my first show back this year, but it was the first show in my first bender of the year. It felt so good to be back. Familiar faces at the door, familiar faces behind the bar, and, most importantly, familiar faces on the stage. My goal this year is to cover more local shows than national touring acts, and I’m following that plan from the get-go as the show at the 7th Street Entry on Wednesday night was a four-band local line-up. Sure, I had seen two of those local bands before (and knew nothing about the other two). However, that didn’t change my excitement as I walked through security and went to my usual spot in the back corner of the dark and intimate club.

Opening the night up was one of the two bands I knew nothing about. In fact, I had never even seen Robot Slide’s name on a bill or anything like that, but after their quick twenty-nine-minute set, they are a band that is absolutely on my radar. Robot Slide’s sound was a very unique blend. The vocals felt familiar with an almost indie-dream-pop style. Still, the unfamiliar electronic sounds happening behind said vocals gave the sound a true twist. The sound of electronic drums felt harsh at times. Still, the overall organic feeling of Robot Slide could not be stopped. I loved the strict drum sound’s contrast to an otherwise flowy and atmospheric set. Add the complicated rhythms that this band pulled off. I was left with a set that excited me, full of life (although the work day was rough), and so excited for what else the night may bring.

Second to take the stage was a personal favorite of mine, Time Room. I’ve covered this band a couple of times now, so I promise not to talk your ear off about their genius, but I do want to give you a small reminder about how amazing this local trio is. With an almost Fidlar meets Devo vibe and moments of instrumentation that reminded me a bit of Primus (although my boyfriend was quick to say I was way off on this, I’m sticking to it), Time Room’s set on Wednesday was flawless as it always is and was served with a dose of high energy presentation. Although I felt like I had so much to say while watching Time Room perform on Wednesday night, as I sit here this morning trying to organize my thoughts, I realize it’s all been said before. This doesn’t mean that Time Room is a boring band or anything like that. In fact, I will never miss a chance to see them perform. It’s more that they are just one of those solid bands that has a sound and style and sticks with it perfectly.

Up next was Squinny. This was the other band on this line-up that I knew nothing about but was intrigued by their name alone. For those who don’t know what a “squinny” is– you’re clearly not from Des Moines, Iowa. Not kidding. Look up the word, and the first hit you will get is titled, “If you know what a ‘squinny’ is, you’re probably from Des Moines.” I know you’re not here to learn that a squinny is essentially a chipmunk but just a funny name that very few people know about. Still, it was a selling point to me when choosing this show. I went for the name of this group but stayed for their music. Stylistically, Squinny had an almost retro throwback vibe to them. There were these slight hints of classic rock and psychedelic vibes scattered throughout their set. Still, there were also moments of pure shredding and true musicianship. Like the previous three bands, I loved the unique blend of genres that Squinny had created, but even more, I loved the passion with which they were performing.

Closing out the Wednesday night show was another personal favorite- shrimp olympics. The first time I saw shrimp olympics was the first time I also saw Time Room. That show was all the way back in March of last year so it’s been a hot minute but I loved how, in under a year, I was able to see the journey that shrimp olympics seem to be on. Although their set was just as quirky as it was the first time I saw them, I just felt that the band had started taking their sound a bit more seriously and honing in on their unique sound and playful presentation. The playful side of this band really shone during their performance on Wednesday. From having an older gentleman introduce the band (he had apparently seen the band at 331 Club and loved it and then proceeded to introduce them incorrectly and as “squid olympics”) to the way the violinist spoke in a very Transylvania vampire kind of way between tracks and even let it slip into a couple of songs here and there, there was just something so carefree and fun about their set. That being said, there’s no denying the talent that also shined throughout the time shrimp olympics had on stage. Long story short, they were the perfect way to close out an already ideal show.

Much like I spoke about back in March when I covered Time Room and shrimp olympics for the first time, the only theme on Wednesday night was no theme. It was a night of fantastic music spanning more genres and styles than I care to sit here and list. It was a night when the Twin Cities’ local music scene was spotlighted, and nobody held back. Again, it was just one of those perfect kinds of nights.

Line Up:

Robot Slide

Time Room

Squinny

shrimp olympics

Venue: 7th Street Entry

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing

Average Age of the Crowd: 26

Crowd Surfers- None

Stage Divers- None

Dance-ability- 3 out of 10

Amount of Beer Spilled On Me While Walking Around- $0

Broken Bones- None

Spotted Flying Through The Air- Nothing

Fights- None Witnessed

Pukers- 0

Passed Out Kids- 0

Idiots Taken Out By Security – None Spotted

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)-

Robot Slide – 0

Time Room – 2

Squinny – 0

shrimp olympics – 1

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score- 8 out of 10

Show on Deck —Alina Maira / Another Heaven / d’Lakes / The Envies

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