Black Leather Middle Finger

Caster Volor, the headliner at The Turf Club on Wednesday night, is one of those bands I have been itching to see live. I’ve seen them once before but it’s been far too long. After convincing my boyfriend that this was a show he had to see and grabbing a friend on the way, we made our way through sleepy Saint Paul and got to The Turf Club. Although the crowd wasn’t as mighty as I would have expected for such a show, many people were hanging out around the venue, just waiting for the magic to happen. After a quick drink and the obligatory “hi’s” to the staff scattered throughout the venue, the show started, and I braced myself for impact.

Before the headliner was three solid local opening acts, starting with Malachite. Malachite calls themselves a “shred metal” band, and, honestly, that’s the best way to describe them. It wasn’t until the final track of their quick thirty-minute opening set that I realized this act didn’t have vocals. Typically, this would be the first thing I notice as I am such a lyrics kind of lady, but when it came to Malachite, I was so captivated by their shredding that I didn’t notice. The talent in this band is insane. From the epic and swirling guitar parts to the intense and steady drum and bass sounds. Malachite is the definition of tight and masters of their craft. Even if shredding guitars isn’t quite your thing, their set on Wednesday night would leave you feeling exhausted and so jealous of their talent.

Following Malachite was For Your Entertainment– a local rock and metal cover band. Full disclosure (and you already know this if you have been reading my blog for a long time), but I don’t like cover bands. It’s almost a flex for me, but I can see nearly any band for real life rather than relying on cover bands to experience hit songs. For Your Entertainment had an uphill battle with me, but they won. I loved how understated their set was and how random the songs seemed. Their set started with an 80s tune but ended with a super solid cover of “Bodies” from Drowning Pool. As their name alludes to, For Your Entertainment was there to entertain people, and they definitely accomplished that. I still won’t go out of my way to see a cover band, but if I ended up at another For Your Entertainment show, I wouldn’t be bummed about it.

Killing Rapunzel was the final opening act of the night, and although they aren’t from the Twin Cities proper, they are from Wisconsin, which is close enough. On top of that, the audience treated this band like a local group. There was excitement throughout the audience as they powered through their hard, rock-styled set that could have fooled you into thinking that this band had grown up and lived their whole lives in this town. I loved that about the set. Stylistically, Killing Rapunzel was a bit too situated in the hard rock vein of things for me. It wasn’t bad, but it just didn’t hit me the way I would have liked. Don’t misconstrue my words- Killing Rapunzel is a heck of a band with a distinct sound presented super clearly and perfectly. It’s not something that I listen to on the daily. That said, I felt myself constantly trying to love their sound throughout the set because I loved the passion with which they played.

It was finally time for me to witness Caster Volor live again for what felt like the first time, and to say I was excited as they took the stage right around 9:45 PM would be an understatement. This band is genuinely larger-than-life in more ways than one. From the outfits they wear to the over-the-top production that the band brought to the intimate stage at The Turf Club– everything about their set on Wednesday (and I would assume all of their sets) screamed professionals and bled passion. As soon as they started playing, my boyfriend, friend, and I just stood there with our jaws on the ground. At the same time, we were all giggling. It was so over the top for such a small venue and a reasonably modest crowd, but we all had the same thoughts going through our heads: This band is doing it. They have a sound, a style, a look, and they will not sacrifice that for anything–not even a sleepy, cold night at The Turf Club in Saint Paul.

Let’s go ahead and call out the elephant in the room, but, like Killing Rapunzel, the sound of Caster Volor is not my thing. It’s a very dedicated 80’s hard metal/ glam-rock vibe, which is not the world I grew up in, so I don’t have the same attachment to the sound as others. That being said, they did everything with such a feeling of conviction that, by the end of their set, I started wondering if I could get super into the 80s hard rock and glam metal scene. This conviction and their evident passion for what they were doing made every song seem better than the last. From the tracks that featured shredding guitars to others that focused more on the stunning high vocals, every song felt brand new, and the banter between tracks was just the icing on the cake.

There were moments throughout Caster Volor’s set where I was left wondering, “What year is it?”. That’s a true testament to how solid this band is. Whether or not their sound or antics are for you, they are a live band that begs to be seen live, and I highly suggest you experience it at least once. Who knows, maybe you’ll be like me and, after your first time with them, you’ll want to do it again, and again, and again.