Girl at the Rock Shows

The headliner of Thursday night’s show spoke on the importance of a “chosen family.” That hit home as I looked around at a reasonably packed 7th Street Entry. I may not have known many people in the room, but I felt connected to each and every one of them through the music being performed. I know this was such a small moment of the four-band show. Still, it was one of those moments that stuck with me, and as I got ready for work today and dragged my butt out into the freezing cold to get to work, it was this thought that kept me going.

The Envies were the first band to take the stage on Thursday night. The Envies’ name was a brand new one to me, which, not to be cocky, was a bit surprising. Even when I have never seen a band before, I have seen their name at least a couple of times– that wasn’t the case with The Envies, and after seeing them perform, I’m wondering why that is. Their flawless set was complete with their own brand of music. It’s this chill classic rock and roll sound, but it has a sense of depth that I couldn’t quite figure out. Was it coming from the lyrics, the guitar playing, or the overall energy? I can tell you that this band was the perfect way to start the night off. The Envies released their debut EP ‘Over The Covers’ just last year, so I’m thinking maybe this is a relatively new band to the scene. Regardless, I expect big things from this band, and I know that Thursday night won’t be the last time their name graces my blog.

I had seen the next band before and wasn’t that impressed with them. The first time I saw d’Lakes, I said, “Although they were another fun band to watch, they didn’t seem to have the quirkiness I got from [the band that played before them].” That was the truth; their set didn’t do it for me back in July of 2023, and I stand by what I wrote. Maybe I was crabby that day, or perhaps they just hadn’t found their “thing” yet, but their performance on Thursday night absolutely blew me away. From the two dancers who brought a sense of life to the dark venue to the way that vocalist Drew seemed unable to stand still, there was something uber-electric about their performance on Thursday night. d’Lake’s sound matched the fun with glam-pop anthems that had the entire audience dancing and bopping along like they couldn’t help themselves. Looking around the room as they played, there wasn’t a single person not smiling, and by the time their set was over and done (and we had seen the engagement of an alien and Beethoven– not kidding– the dancers were quirky and fun and really gave the audience more of a show than they were already getting), the chatter throughout the room was all about d’Lakes and for a good reason. More and more people have been talking about this band locally. I have always ignored it because that first time I saw them, they didn’t hook me, but now I get it and am officially on the d’Lakes train.

Another Heaven was the next band to take the stage, and it was a band I had been wanting to catch for some time. Although they were out of left field compared to the other three acts of the night (and even claimed to be the “least fun band on the bill”), I fell head over heels for this four-piece. Their sound was more serious when compared to the opening two sets. Their post-rock sound came drenched in emotion to the point where they had me feeling things I didn’t think I would be feeling on a cold Thursday night. Although I’ll agree that their set didn’t have the quirky energy of the other acts of the night and definitely came with a side dish of severe and stern emotion, the power that they did bring to the stage filled the room in such a beautiful way much like their sound did. Unfortunately, I don’t have much more to say because they weren’t the most danceable or hilarious band. Still, I will see this band again very soon, purely based on all the things they made me feel throughout their set.

Although the first three bands of the evening were superb, Thursday night was about the headliner– Alina Maira. It was a celebration for the release of her new (and stunning) album ‘White Noise.’ The first time I saw Alina was back in October of 2021. Her beautiful soul and voice really stuck with me. I was excited as she and her amazingly talented band took the stage. Much like Another Heaven, there was no real excitement behind Alina’s set, but that’s not a bad thing. The focus was on her music, which was all the audience needed. Like Another Heaven, Alina’s set came wrapped up in a bow of pure emotion. That’s the thing that has always struck me about her sound– the emotion. I love how you can see her feel each word as she sings them. Although a song may feel fairly boppy and upbeat, her face will tell you that it’s actually a song full of angst and grit. I love that about her, and it kept me more than stuck in her world throughout her headlining set.

The music and performances on Thursday night were fantastic. What made it even more impressive was the “chosen family” I found myself surrounded by. Although it was a chilly Thursday night with an impending snowstorm, the 7th Street Entry was packed, filling my heart. It’s no surprise that touring bands want to avoid taking a chance on traveling up to the north country in the winter for fear of getting stranded in a snowstorm, so now is a time for the local scene to take over. This winter has come with larger crowds for these local shows, which makes me beyond happy. Being able to see bands as talented as Alina Maira, Another Heaven, d’Lakes, and The Envies play in front of a packed crowd is what I live for.

Congratulations to all the bands that performed, a massive round of applause to Alina Maira, and congratulations on the successful release of ‘White Noise.’

Line Up:

The Envies

d’Lakes

Another Heaven

Alina Maira

Venue: 7th Street Entry

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing

Average Age of the Crowd: 27

Crowd Surfers- None

Stage Divers- None

Dance-ability- 7 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)-

The Envies – 0

d’Lakes – 1

Another Heaven – 0

Alina Maira – 1

Celebrity Sightings – Andy of Whiskey Rock N’ Roll Club MPLS

Overall Score- 8 out of 10

Show on Deck —First Avenue’s Best New Bands of 2023 // The Silent Treatment / The Mood Swings / Spit Takes / Loki’s Folly

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