Girl at the Rock Shows

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again– sometimes all you need is a ska show to get you out of whatever funk you may be in. Maybe you don’t even notice that you’re in a funk, but just a couple of songs into a ska set, and you will feel a weight lift off your shoulders perfectly and magically. That was just one of the many highlights of my time spent at Cloudland Theater in Minneapolis on Wednesday night.

Local 3rd wave ska group Lost Island Society was first up on the four-band bill. I know I covered this band in January, but I could seriously watch this act perform nightly and not get sick of it. They bring such a sense of fun and life to a stage and a room that it’s tough to resist. Even though it has only been a couple of weeks since I last saw them, I loved that this band proved they are still evolving and getting better with time (even if that time is short). A prime example was when they played their brand new song “Divided We Fall” (which just came out on Wednesday). It was a song that was clearly that of Lost Island Society with the amount of fun and energy it brought to the table, but it also showed a sense of maturity and growth in this band. Whether you were caught by this new song or just caught by this incredible band in general, you were instantly stuck in Lost Island Society’s world, and any stress or bad vibes from the day instantly fell to the wayside.

Up next was another band that I feel like I could see night after night and not get bored of– Space Monkey Mafia. Wednesday night’s performance was the first time I had seen this group with a slight shift in their line-up. Saxophonist (and a dear friend of mine) Tim Kingstrom stepped away from this group recently and I was afraid of how that would affect this group as Tim is a character on stage but I was silly for worrying. Space Monkey Mafia is a force of a band, and nothing will stop them– not even a line-up change. Vocalist Dante has a way with the audience. The way they danced around on stage, eventually running out of room and moving to the floor, definitely got the excited audience moving and grooving in a perfect way. One of my favorite things about this group is their passion. It oozes from every note and word from their set, and I’m not just talking about the music. Sets were super short on Wednesday as this was an all-ages show with a tight curfew, so Dante didn’t have time to get into the political rants they typically do, but you could still feel a passion radiate from the whole band as they explained the meaning behind the songs. From justice for unhoused individuals to the latest Uber/Lyft debacle that the city of Minneapolis finds itself in– I love that this band isn’t afraid to bring up real-life issues and put them in a fun ska-fueled fury of energy.

Southern California’s Victory Kid was the only touring act on the four-band bill, and honestly, I’ve never been more jealous of California. This trio had a very pop-punk leaning sound compared to the more ska-fueled sound that reigned supreme throughout the night, but nobody seemed to mind. Like the three local bands that took the stage on Wednesday, Victory Kid brought endless energy and fun to the stage. From their cover of Taylor Switft’s “Blank Page” (which was a million times better than the original, and I’m not sorry for saying that) to hosting the world’s smallest circle pit in the super intimate venue, everything about Victory Kid radiated innocence and kid-like fun. In a world where we all seem to take things a bit too seriously or have panic attacks over small things solely because of all of the traumatic events we have all been through as a society, Victory Kid’s set reminded us that it’s okay to get silly every once in a while. It’s OK to let go, dance around like a fool, and just let yourself smile while having the time of your life. I don’t know what Victory Kid’s touring schedule is like for the rest of the year, but I know I am praying to the concert Gods for a return visit in the near future.

Clearly, I had already had a great time with the three opening acts, but the best was yet to come, and the best on Wednesday night came in the form of The Von Tramps. This band is definitely one of my favorite locals. I say that a lot, but I really mean it when it comes to this group. Beyond their ska-infused pop-punk-perfect song are the humans behind this band. Each one is kinder and more genuine than the last, creating the perfect storm for a perfect local band. Sure, they are great as The Von Tramps but I see these people at local shows time and time again. I see them involved in local non-profits that teach young girls how to be in a band. I see them filming giant festivals that I have always dreamed of covering myself. Long story short, The Von Tramps are one of the hardest-working bands in the scene, and being able to celebrate their homecoming after a brief stint on the road was pure bliss.

Unfortunately, vocalist Jenna Enemy had just lost her voice. It would have been so easy for her to cancel the show, citing illness and reschedule for the future, but that’s not how this band rolls– nor did it need to be. Outside of technical difficulties during the first song, Jenna did her best to keep up with every song, but when she couldn’t do it or needed a break, the audience was there to catch her. That’s the magic of the local scene here. Although we have all seen The Von Tramps dozens of times and know they are local, everyone in the audience on Wednesday treated them like a giant touring act. No word was missed with the help of the audience, and every beat came with a movement from the crowd. It may not have been the biggest crowd in the history of shows at Cloudland Theater, but it was definitely one of the mightiest and most heartfelt ones I’ve been a part of, and that was just the icing on the cake.

From inflatables flying through the air to light-up sticks being thrown out into the audience and all the way to a summer medley featuring Cindy Lawson (local rockstar who had been on tour with The Von Tramps up until Wednesday night) and Cuni (guitarist from Victory Kid), Wednesday night was one of those nights where there were a million little moments that made the night perfect but, if you weren’t there, me explaining those moments to you would do nothing. All this means is that if you want to feel the excitement, passion, and love that I felt in my heart on Wednesday night, get off your couch and go to a local show.

Line Up:

Lost Island Society

Space Monkey Mafia

Victory Kid

The Von Tramps

Venue: Cloudland Theater

Smell-O-Meter- Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd- 25

Crowd Surfers-0

Mosh-ability- 7 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- Inflatables

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)-

Lost Island Society – 2

Space Monkey Mafia – 6

Victory Kid – 0

The Von Tramps – 5

Celebrity Sightings – Cindy Lawson; Mark of WRRC MPLS/ Cindy Lawson

Overall Score- 9.3 out of 10

Show on Deck- Lion King – The Musical

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