Girl at the Rock Shows

There was a lot of controversy and talk surrounding the show at First Avenue’s mainroom on Wednesday night. Don’t worry; I was at that show, too so you can read all about it in my next post. But I really loved the fact that while everyone was up in arms about that show, the 7th Street Entry silently sold out and gave an excited, packed house a night of music to help whisk them away from all of the drama that was unfolding just outside the front door.

Honestly, I got tricked into this show. The venue’s website listed the opening act as an indie-pop band from California “renowned for their high-voltage live shows.” Imagine my surprise as I made myself comfortable in the back corner of this small venue only to see that instead of a band set up on stage, there were a bunch of different keyboards and electronics everywhere. I quickly realized that there are two different acts named Familiar Faces. One is that sun-soaked indie-pop band. The other is a musical genius who performs through different electronic sounds and beats. Sure, I was a little bummed, and it took me a second to get used to the new idea of what my night was going to look like, but, at the end of the night, it was the right choice to go to this show.

I felt a bit out of my element as electronic and dance music isn’t quite my thing, so I apologize now if I get some of the terms and phrasing wrong, but I’m here to tell you that being in the 7th Street Entry on Wednesday was a true escape. Familiar Faces’ sound was this cool contrast of intense and booming beats with very soft and tender vocals. Add the visuals that were constantly changing on the screen behind him and the fact that, other than said visuals, the room was completely dark, and you were left in a sea of beautiful soundscapes that would wash over you with every beat. It was a new feeling to me but something I would love to feel more of. It was as if the darkness of the room let the sold-out audience move however they wanted without the fear of judgment, and, as someone who was feeling the beats down to my soul but didn’t quite know how to move to them, I really appreciated it.

The vibe and energy that I got from Familiar Faces was very similar to that of the headlining act- Mindchatter. I may have never heard of this New York City-based artist before, but everyone around me had, and they had clearly been waiting for this moment for quite a while. Okay, maybe “quite awhile” is the wrong phrase, as Bryce Connolly has only been performing under the pseudonym of Mindchatter since 2019, but it was clear that everyone in attendance was excited to see this thrilling and up-and-coming musician.

Here’s where my phrasing may be a bit off. I want to call Mindchatter a DJ because, in my mind, that’s what he is but I know that in the mind of others, that isn’t quite the right word. Mindchatter wasn’t just standing behind a computer and pressing play; he was fiddling with a bunch of buttons and pedals while singing and amping the crowd up all at the same time. Okay, again, I know “fiddling” isn’t the right phrase as he clearly knew what he was doing up there and was doing it well but, as someone who isn’t super familiar with the scene, it’s the best word I can think of to describe what I was watching.

Again, like during Familiar Faces’ set, the house lights were darker than dark with the only light coming from the quirky and creative clips being played behind Mindchatter as he performed. I loved that these images gave you something to watch because, at times, it was hard to see Mindchatter doing his thing through the darkness but, what’s more is I loved the way that these images created a full-body experience. I found myself splitting my time between getting lost in the heavy beats and the people dancing around me with time spent melting into the almost psychedelic-infused videos playing behind him. Long story short, there wasn’t a moment during Mindchatter’s set where I wasn’t fully immersed in his world.

I had my days at EDM and electronic shows but those are long behind me. I got sick of the drug culture that comes with it but my experience on Wednesday night has me re-thinking my decision to step back from that scene. I’m not sure if I’ve been living under a rock, but there seems to be this whole scene of electronic music where the focus is on the music, not the drugs and it’s a scene I want more of. So, that being said, do you know other artists like Mindchatter and Familiar Faces that I should check out? That’s a serious question because the freedom and calm mixed with endless amounts of energy that I felt as the bass pumped through my soul on Wednesday night is a feeling that I absolutely want more of.

Line Up:

Familiar Faces

Mindchatter

Venue: 7th Street Entry

Smell-O-Meter: Sweat– It was super hot in there

Average Age of the Crowd: 35

Crowd Surfers- None

Stage Divers- None

Mosh-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)-

Familiar Faces– 0

Mindchatter– 0

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score – 7 out of 10

Show on Deck — Matisyahu / Cydeways

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