Girl at the Rock Shows

I was super excited to return to Cloudland on Thursday night. This unassuming venue instantly became my favorite after seeing Laura Jane Grace perform there earlier this month. It was such a cozy and understated place with the most gracious staff and a great vibe. Was I only in love with it because of the magic Laura Jane Grace had brought to the intimate space, or was this venue genuinely going to be my new home away from home and a venue that I support wholeheartedly? Although excited, I panicked a wee bit as my boyfriend and I made our way to South Minneapolis. Maybe this venue wasn’t that cool. Perhaps it was just the magic of a new space and, again, the fact I saw Laura Jane Grace there. Then I walked through the door and saw the familiar face of the security guard and one of the owners behind the bar. I instantly felt calm and at home even though I had only been here one other time. There’s something magical about Cloudland, and that’s just the first reason my Thursday night was so amazing.

Getting the all ages show started right was Sockhop Massacre. This band had a little bit of everything behind them. I know I say that a lot, and I always mean it, but I really mean it when it comes to this band. From a sense of insanity that was added by a saxophone, of all things, to the way the band members switched positions and who was leading what song, I instantly fell head over heels for the diversity of this group. Depending on who was doing vocals, you got a little bit of everything from a very DIY punk vibe to a more polished alt-rock vibe that instantly reminded me of BoySetsFire. Although the style and vibe constantly changed, Sockhop Massacre had a firm foothold in their distinct sound. Sure, all of the songs seemed to bring something different to the table, and it was clear that each of the members of this opening band had a different influence breathing through their music, yet all of their songs were clearly theirs.

Following Sockhop Massacre was Luddgang– a local trio, I knew nothing about when they took the stage. Still, as they left the stage after their quick thirty-minute set, I wanted to know everything about them. This band walked the line between tender beauty and angsty aggression so beautifully. With a constant tug of war happening behind the guitarist doing the clean vocals and the drummer doing the more aggressive and screamed words, the dynamics of this band were put in the spotlight throughout the set. On top of this tug of war was this apparent attention to detail. Throughout Luddgang’s set, instrumental breaks showed the true talent behind all three of these players. With a constantly moving bass line, dazzling guitar work, and slamming drums, Luddgang gave me everything I could ever ask for from a local band and then some. Thursday night may have been my introduction to this local band, but it definitely won’t be the last time I see them perform or the last time you have to read about them (sorry, not sorry).

Out of the four bands gracing the Cloudland stage on Thursday night, full catholic was the only one I knew anything about. I saw full catholic just about a year ago at the 7th Street Entry when they opened for Lazy Scorsese. There have been literally hundreds of shows and thousands of bands since then, so I was super excited to revisit their sound and performance. Coming in the form of a trio, full catholic instantly had me in a trance with their sound. It’s atmospheric and airy with vocals that add this almost eerie and haunting vibe to their sound, but it also comes with an energy behind it that keeps it from lulling you to sleep. It’s a weird dynamic, but one that full catholic does so perfectly. Add the fact that there was, at one point, a banjo being played by the drummer and vocal harmonies that instantly gave me goosebumps, and I was left with a set that not only reminded me who full catholic was but why I fell in love with them the first time.

The final band to take the stage on Thursday night was deletist. Like all three previous acts, deletist instantly had me in love with their sound and overall vibe. Compared to the other bands, I found deletist’s sound to be a bit more commercial, but don’t take that to mean you’ll be hearing them on the radio anytime soon (and I mean that in the best way possible). Again, this band showcased that each of their members brought something different to the table and that they had taken all those flavors and cooked up their own sound effortlessly. Sure, I could tell you about the moments where their sound reminded me of a specific band, song, or even down to a particular chorus, but that wouldn’t be fair to deletist because, again, their sound was just all over the place.

One thing this band brought to the stage that I didn’t quite get from the previous acts was a sense of carefree fun and energy. That’s not to say that the other bands didn’t bring the stage to life because they absolutely did; there was just something a bit more bouncy about deletist’s performance, which was perfect as they were the final band of the night. It matched their sound perfectly, and I felt like the members of this group knew when to bop around the stage a bit and when to play it a bit closer to the chest but just swaying to the gorgeous vocal harmonies they were producing. This was a subtle part of deletist’s set, but it acted as the cherry on top of an already stellar night of music.

So, it’s official. Cloudland is my new favorite venue, and all four acts I saw there on Thursday night are my new favorite local bands. I know it is a bit cheesy, but to have a space where young bands like the four I saw can get up there, do their thing, and have people of all ages come out and enjoy the night with them is a treasure, and it’s something that makes my heart so warm. Cloudland and all of these bands have more shows coming up, so if anything I said in this review about the venue or the four acts made you feel anyway, I highly suggest you check them out online and follow them. Who knows? I’ll see you at the next Cloudland show!

Line Up:

Sockhop Massacre

Luddgang

full catholic

deletist

Venue: Cloudland

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 22

Crowd Surfers- None

Stage Divers- None

Dance-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)-

Sockhop Massacre – 0

Luddgang – 0

full catholic – 1

Deletist– 0

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score – 8 out of 10

Show on Deck — McNasty Brass Band / Gifted Handz / room3

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