Girl at the Rock Shows

You didn’t think I stopped going to shows, did you? This week has been the lightest week yet this year, but after a marathon last week and into last weekend, I needed a bit of a break. That break will continue through the weekend, but I really couldn’t go another day without the feeling of live music, so I took a break from my break and went down to First Avenue on Wednesday night. I’m glad I did because the two bands I saw perform filled me with so much life and passion. It was just what I needed.

The show started simply and perfectly with Mustard Service from Miami. Since 2015, Mustard Service has been giving fans and audiences their self-described “zest pop.” Although I have no clue how to explain what zest pop is, I know that it filled First Avenue’s mainroom with a sense of calm yet fun energy. It was a little bit of surf rock, a dash of indie pop, and sprinkles of everything from funk to bossa nova. It wasn’t overly excited or loud, but Mustard Service’s sound hung perfectly in the air, washing over everyone in the audience and giving everyone a reason to smile.

I found a balance between seriousness and personality when it came to Mustard Service intriguing. When it came to their music, this group was all business, making sure that each note was perfectly placed with the perfect tone and hung onto for the perfect amount of time. There was more of an informal feeling when it came to the banter between tracks. “Who in the audience has cats?” asked drummer Adam Perez. Obviously, as a crazy cat lady, this caught my ears. The band jumped into their song “(Your Cat) Don’t Stand a Chance.” Although I’m not convinced that this song is actually about a cat after reading the lyrics, it brought a sense of carefree fun to a room that was already clearly at this show to escape from the dull and boring motions of everyday life.

It was easy to tell that people in the audience were at this show for the headlining act, not Mustard Service, but when this opener started playing their impressive cover of Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” complete with an epic trumpet solo. Although this is a song that is covered time and time again, what Mustard Service did with it was brilliant and original. On top of that, I feel like this drew anyone in the audience into their world if they hadn’t already done so with the original material their set mainly consisted of. Although their last song, this cover set the tone for what was to come perfectly.

It has been years since I have put on a Bombay Bicycle Club album. There’s no reason for this other than the fact that there’s so much fantastic music out there, and I can sometimes forget about old classics. This is a shame and will change after seeing this English group headline on Wednesday night. As I got ready to photograph the band from between the stage and the barrier, I couldn’t help but listen in on some of the conversations happening in the front row. The amount of excitement in those lining the barricade just could not be contained. From guessing what song the band was going to play as the opener to talking about seeing the band perform years ago, everyone was excited and cheered as loud as they could as the group took the stage.

There’s a reason for all of the hype that I heard. Bombay Bicycle Club is a legendary band. They got their start in 2005, broke up in 2016, got back together in 2019 and have been together making new music ever since. Wednesday night’s performance was in support of their new album ‘My Big Day’ which came out last year. The stage was set for a party with a colorful backdrop and balloons spelling out “My Big Day,” and that party started the second all of the members of this band took the stage, each wearing a smile bigger than the last one. It may have been years since I really thought about this band, but the second I saw them all walking up on stage with those giant smiles, I knew that I was about to be treated to a truly stellar show, and I was not wrong.

I can’t tell you what songs the band played in their set, which was probably about twenty songs long, but I can tell you that each song was presented with an undeniable sense of heart and passion from the band that was translated to that same feeling in the audience. The group took their time between songs, giving the audience time to connect with the members on a deeper level. Whether it was a quirky story about how they were on the Jumbotron at the Minnesota Wild Game on Tuesday night and how that was a pivotal moment in vocalist Jack Steadman’s life or more just background on their music and time as a band, I loved the way Bombay Bicycle Club took the time to really connect with their fans and anyone else who had stumbled into First Avenue on Wednesday night.

There was not an epic light show, no major mosh pit to speak of, or anything of the sort, but I loved that about the show. It was just a modest audience who was clearly excited for whatever the band was going to give them, and a band that wanted to give the audience the whole world. Sometimes, you don’t need an exciting show to remind you of the power of live music. Sometimes, it’s better to go to a show where all you have is the music because, in the end, that’s all you need.

Line Up:

Mustard Service

Bombay Bicycle Club

Venue – First Avenue

Smell-O-Meter- Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd- 43

Crowd Surfers- 0

Mosh-ability- 0 out of 10

Stage Divers- 0

Amount of Beer Spilled On Me While Walking Around- $0

Broken Bones- None Noticed

Spotted Flying Through The Air- Nothing

Fights- None Noticed

Pukers- None Noticed

Idiots Taken Out By Security- 0

How Many Times I’ve Seen These Bands Before (or at least how many times I can remember)-

Mustard Service – 0

Bombay Bicycle Club- 0

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score- 8.2 out of 10

Show on Deck- TBD

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