Girl at the Rock Shows

My heart wasn’t in the show on Tuesday night when I got to the 7th Street Entry. I don’t know what it was. Maybe it was the stress of feeling super behind on work and housework, or perhaps it was just exhaustion getting the best of me– regardless, I was less than bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as my friend and I walked through security and found our spots in the venue. I did everything I could to change my mindset, but it didn’t work– until the music started.

As soon as the opening act, NATL PARK SRVC, started playing, all of those feelings of stress and inevitable dread fell away. I could literally feel a weight lift off of me within the first song. This could have just been because of the strong effect of live music, but I’d like to think it was because of the band. I’ve seen NATL PARK SRVC a couple of times now, and they have never let me down. Tuesday night was no different.

Although they came in a more scaled back version of a five-piece instead of the massive nine-piece I have seen them as before, they still hit me with the same amount of power. The best way for me to describe their music would be “quirky indie-rock.” Sure, this band has some standard indie-rock elements that make their sound accessible and relatable. Still, at the same time, they seem to sprinkle each beat of their music with something just a little bit different, giving a twist to a sound that can feel so redundant and overplayed. NATL PARK SRVC’s time on stage was short, which would be a theme of the night, but I loved the way that their brief time on stage completely changed my mindset.

Following NATL PARK SRVC was one of the two bands on Tuesday night’s line-up that I knew nothing about- Fend. I didn’t have time to slip back into my negative headspace that I had been in when the night started as it felt like as soon as NATL PARK SRVC left the stage, Fend was starting up. Even if I had had a chance to slip back into the darkness, Fend’s music would have instantly picked me right back up. Think Brand New, but minus the allegations. Their sound was soft and sweet overall but had this sense of undeniable power that reigned supreme throughout their time spent on stage. I’ll be honest, their music wasn’t the most exciting thing I had heard all day and it wouldn’t be the most thrilling set of the night but there was something so calming and meditative about their set and it was perfect. There isn’t much online about this band so I can’t give you much background on them but I know that Fend is one of those bands that will make you feel everything all at once making them a can’t miss act and one that I genuinely hope to see more of soon.

Tuesday night was my third time seeing Dad Bod perform live. The first time was back in 2021, and then I had the pleasure of catching them just a couple of months ago in January. It’s been absolutely incredible to see this band grow. The first time I saw them, they came off as shy and relatively quiet, but that changed between 2021 and January and, yet again, between January and Tuesday night. Sure, like Fend, Dad Bob’s music is pretty tender and soft, but they had such a sense of power behind them on Tuesday night that it almost knocked me off of my feet. Even with the power that hit me like a truck, their set, overall, was a dazzling showcase of emotion, dreamy guitars, and shoegaze inspired distortion. I love the way that, when listening to Dad Bod, you can compare them to a million different bands but, at the end of the day, there is only one Dad Bod and they have a sound that will keep you on your toes.

I was already impressed with the showing of local talent I had gotten throughout Tuesday night, but it all hit a high as Thank You, I’m Sorry took the stage. I don’t know what rock I’ve been living under, but Tuesday night was my first time seeing and hearing this band. That being said, they have been grinding and grinding hard. Tuesday night was their thirty-third show in a row after being on the road for thirty-two days. The band members were undoubtedly exhausted after such a long run, but you weren’t able to tell that with the explosive performance they gave the impressive-for-a-Tuesday crowd.

Thank You, I’m Sorry is one of those bands that hits and hits hard. Their relatable lyrics about everything from being gay to having a panic attack and calling your mom while hiding under your bedsheets to get through it hit me like a truck. I knew I was having a rough mental health day just due to my attitude when walking into the show on Tuesday night, which made their words hit me even harder. It was as if this band was allowing me to feel all of my feelings whether justified or not and they were there to wrap me up in a big hug of pop-punk leaning rock to help me get through it. That all sounds so cheesy, I know, but Thank You, I’m Sorry hit me so profoundly on Tuesday night that it left me a bit speechless.

Beyond the way that this band hit me was their live show. It was fun and boppy, with vocalist Lleen frequently dropping the guitar and just dancing along to the infectious beats. At the same time, there was something overly vulnerable about the performance. Part of that vulnerability obviously came from the heart-on-sleeve styled vocals but it was more than just that. This band was welcoming anyone and everyone who was in attendance on Tuesday night to their world. They didn’t care what baggage you were coming with or anything like that, they were just happy to have you there.

Tuesday night was a celebration of the release of ‘Repeating Threes’ from Thank You, I’m Sorry. I know I have a lot to do today and a lot of new music to check out but the majority of my day will be spent digging into this release along with everything else I can find from Thank You, I’m Sorry.

Line Up:

NATL PARK SRVC

Fend

Dad Bod

Thank You, I’m Sorry

Venue – 7th Street Entry

Smell-O-Meter- Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd- 23

Crowd Surfers-0

Mosh-ability- 1 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)-

NATL PARK SRVC– 2

Fend – 0

Dad Bod – 2

Thank You, I’m Sorry – 0

Celebrity Sightings – Ann of Mostly MN Music

Overall Score- 8.3 out of 10

Show on Deck- TBD

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