Girl at the Rock Shows

Thursday night was another night of me trying to catch as much music as humanly possible. I’ll be honest: covering two shows isn’t my favorite thing to do because I inevitably have to miss some of one of them to get to the other one in time to catch another band, but, at the same time, I love the fact that I can bounce between two completely different worlds in one night. That was my biggest takeaway from my two shows on Thursday night, outside of the talent. In the 7th Street Entry, I was lost in a world of dreamy and soft pop music. In First Avenue’s main room, I was a face in a crowd full of amped-up people being treated to pure chaos and intensity. It was hard to leave either show to go to the other one, but, at the same time, I absolutely loved that I got to see it all.

First, let’s talk about the dreamy and soft-pop show at the 7th Street Entry. Opening up the night in the smaller venue in the building was Daphne Jane. Daphne’s name is not new to me, yet every time I see it on a flyer or an upcoming show, I get excited. Daphne has been writing and playing gigs since she was twelve. I honestly don’t know how old she is now, but I know that all of that grind and constant gigging has paid off because, when watching her, you are filled with such a sense of professionalism and, more importantly, passion. The lyrics are the biggest thing that stands out to me about her music. Instead of just generic lines of words matched with soft instrumentation, Daphne Jane has a way of making her lyrics feel more like diary readings than anything else. It adds a sense of vulnerability that I feel a lot of people try to hide, but Daphne Jane puts it in the spotlight, and when paired with her soft, sweet, and perfect delivery, you are left with a stunning set and a perfect way to kick off a beautiful night of music.

I thought Daphne Jane was soft, but compared to the next act- Noah Derksen- she came off like a metal singer. This isn’t bad, but the second I stepped foot into Noah’s set, I had to strain to hear him. Everything from his vocals to the subtle strums on his guitar was beyond quiet, but that actually fit his overall vibe perfectly. I would have easily put money on the fact that Noah was from somewhere up by the boundary waters just based on the style of folk music he was giving me, but he’s actually from Winnipeg, Canada. This made as much sense as the fact that he was a Canadian Folk Music’s Emerging Artist of the Year and SiriusXM’s Top of the Country Finalist.

There was just something almost rootsy about his being. I’m not talking about roots music or anything like that, as Noah is straight-up folk goodness; it’s more about his aura. He had this very clean-cut presentation yet had a personality that shined as he bantered with the modest audience that came out. “Have you guys ever been to Winnipeg?” He asked the audience. A few people raised their hands, and he asked one what had brought them up. When the question was answered with “EDM festival”, Noah was quick to admit he had no clue Winnipeg had one of those and that, unfortunately, his set on Thursday was not going to be an EDM set. Little quips like that brought a sense of fun and personality to an already gorgeous yet subtle set.

I loved the delicacy and tenderness that both Daphne Jane and Noah Derksen brought to the stage, but it was clear why Marielle Kraft was headlining this show. The second that Marielle started playing, I was struck. There was something so poppy and infectious about her indie-pop tunes, yet I was getting the same sense of sensitivity and tenderness that I had in the previous two sets. She had somehow taken the best of the two worlds and fused them together to make a sound that would both make you want to dance while also making sure you felt every word down to your bones. Her songs were reflective and very heart-on-sleeve styled, yet they came off as perfectly polished instead of being raw. It was a weird feeling that I wish I had better words to describe, but the fact is, I was just completely lost watching her perform.

One of the main themes of Thursday night at the 7th Street Entry outside of beauty was lyrics. Every act brought so much passion and thought to their word choice. If you’ve been reading this blog for some time, you know that all a song needs to really hook me is some relatable lyrics, and each of these three musicians had that, as well as some. It’s a funny thing as, looking around the audience, I stuck out like a sore thumb, yet I felt so connected to each of these musicians because I could relate to their words. That’s the power of music, and although it was a soft and quiet show overall and I was in the mood for something a bit more intense, I was filled with so much love and passion from each of the acts that took the stage, leading to a truly flawless night.

Line Up:

Daphne Jane

Noah Derksen

Marielle Kraft

Venue: 7th Street Entry

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 26

Crowd Surfers- None

Stage Divers- None

Mosh-ability- 0 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)-

Daphne Jane – 1

Noah Derksen – 0

Marielle Kraft – 0

Celebrity Sightings – Andy of Whiskey Rock N Roll Club MPLS

Overall Score – 7 out of 10

Show on Deck — Otoboke Beaver / Drinking Boys and Girls Choir / Scrunchies

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