Girl at the Rock Shows

I already brought up how Sunday was the Super Bowl but, instead of watching the full game, I opted to go to a concert (or two if you didn’t catch onto that already). Because of that, I really have no catchy intro for you when it comes to this one. Long story short, if you want a catchy intro, just read my post for the other show that I went to on Sunday night. If you don’t care about my quirky and seemingly random intros, please just continue reading to hear about how amazing the local show at The 7th Street Entry was on Sunday night.

Kicking things off was donlavinci. A producer who is originally from New York but is now based here in Minneapolis, donlavinci was the perfect way to start my night at The Entry. Honestly, I was stressed as I made my way through security and got through the door. I had stayed at my buddy’s house just a bit too long so I could see the halftime show and ended up being a couple of minutes late for this show. I hate being late especially when I know the opening set is going to be a short one but, thankfully, not only did I catch the majority of donlavinci’s set, but it also helped me take a second and calm down. His beats were somehow both meditative and full of life at the same time. There were nods to everything from lo-fi to rap blended together to create a unique sound that truly had me caught. I’m not typically one for just a guy with some buttons and doodads on the stage (no offense, Don) but what Don did with those buttons and doodads was pure magic.

I thought that the next act, League Two, was a completely new one to me but, as they took the stage and jumped into their set, I started to get that hinky feeling that I had seen them before. Their unique 80’s post-punk-influenced sound triggered something in my brain and, although it took me a hot second, I finally realized that League Two is Present Company in new form. I had seen Present Company once and reviewed one of their albums so putting this together both excited me and broke my heart at the same time. It broke my heart because I had grown quite fond of Present Company but it excited me because the new band name showed movement and evolution in this band. They may have changed their name but, overall, their style has stayed the same. It was still that slightly dark-hued 80’s post-punk sound but with a dash of shoegaze behind it. I don’t know when the name change happened or why but I know that I am beyond glad I put things together as far as this being Present Company and I can not wait to see them grow as League Two!

I have now covered REIKI twice in the past three months and you’re about to get another reminder that this kid is the one to watch when it comes to the local scene right now. Being that I have covered him a couple of times recently, I promise to not gush too hard over him but I just have to say, REIKI’s set on Sunday night was just as perfect as the previous two sets I’ve seen from him but it also showed movement forward for this young act which had me beyond excited. Per usual, REIKI started off his set with an emphasis on the more R&B styled side of his sound. His soulful voice radiated throughout the dark and intimate space while pulling everyone closer to the stage both literally and figuratively. Although there’s no denying his vocal talent that is highlighted as the beginning of his sets during this more slow and steady portion, that’s not why I keep going back to see him.

After a quick exit from the stage while the band came up and get situated, REIKI came back with a white mask on and the entire mood shifted. Instead of people swaying back and forth to the slow and steady beat while being completely enamored by REIKI’s sound, people cleared the middle of the floor and, within seconds of REIKI starting the performance back up, that space formerly covered by people swaying was full of flying limbs and spilled drinks. The genius behind REIKI is this almost bi-polar performance. From a smooth R&B solo to a truly brutal more grime-styled rap sound, the contrast is as stunning as the fact that he is able to pull both style off as flawlessly as he does. REIKI is easily my favorite local act out there right now. He’s doing something that not many other people in the local scene are doing right now but, more importantly, he’s doing it well and with an undeniable sense of heart and passion. Seriously, if you haven’t listened to me in the past few reviews of this kid, I beg you to go see him live. I promise you will not be let down and you will look back fondly on that one time you saw REIKI before he blew up and became uber-famous.

Clearly I was in love with REIKI’s set but, truly, I knew I was going to be before I even stepped foot in the 7th Street Entry on Sunday. What I didn’t know was how headlining act Jonny Darko was going to follow something as powerful as REIKI. At the same time, I know Jonny and I knew that he was going to bring pure magic and heart to the stage. Jonny Darko and I go way back. I remember seeing him when he was part of Jaguar Jaguar and then he was gracious enough to invite me to the release of his visual album ‘Symbolica’ back in June of 2021. I have always loved Jonny’s creativity and always looked forward to getting emails and messages from him about upcoming events and releases but then, out of nowhere, they emails and messages stopped. I figured he had outgrown me in a way or had taken a little break so I was thrilled when I saw his name on the calendar for 7th Street Entry and knew that this was a show that I just had to see.

In true Jonny Darko fashion, Jonny and his band instantly had me charmed. There was something almost severe and serious about his performance on Sunday. You could literally see his hand shake with emotion as he held the microphone up at certain points but, at other points, you could feel his heart dripping out of the microphone with every passing word. It was this weird contrast that I couldn’t quite figure out but also a contrast that I feel like Jonny has always had in his music and performances, he was just now bringing it to the forefront.

Musically, Jonny Darko still has the same unique style he always has. I called it Post Malone’s rap style with Bon Iver’s artistic side back when I covered ‘Symbolica’ and I feel like that would still be the best way to describe the sound. At the same time, that short description just doesn’t do Jonny Darko’s sound justice. Like his performance and the vibe I was getting from him as he powered through his set, his music has such a sense of contrast and juxtaposing vibes and sounds. It’s honestly a bit confusing to get to the bottom of it all and really lay it all out for you but that’s the creativity behind Jonny and it’s what keeps me coming back time and time again.

Sunday night’s show a celebration of Jonny Darko’s brand new album ‘Not Again’. This album comes in the form of a magazine which says everything you need to know about this creative musician. He isn’t doing what everyone else is doing and is bringing this magical sense of creativity to every release and every song he puts out there. Jonny Darko may have disappeared from my life for a hot minute but I am beyond stoked to have him back and can’t wait to drag all of my friends to his next performance.

Line Up:

donlavinci

League Two

REIKI

Jonny Darko

Venue: 7th Street Entry

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 27

Crowd Surfers- None

Stage Divers- None

Mosh-ability- 7 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)-

donlavinci – 0

League Two – 0

REIKI – 2

Jonny Darko – 2

Celebrity Sightings – Ann of Mostly MN Music

Overall Score –8.7 out of 10

Show on Deck — The Kills / The Paranoyds // Black Wine / TeawhYB / QT? / Ghost Kitchen