Girl at the Rock Shows

I rarely cover cover bands. There’s a reason for that. They aren’t for me. I get it, I genuinely do but, as a super spoiled person who can and has gone to see nearly every act imaginable live (I promise, that’s not a flex– just the truth), I don’t understand it. So why did I end up at cover band show at the 7th Street Entry on Thursday night? Most plainly put- I went in blind, and it backfired. I saw a photo of the headlining act, and it looked very pop-punk. You know the look- electrified colors and happy faces. It wasn’t until just a couple of days before the show that I realized that the headlining act was, in fact, a cover band, and by that point, it was too late to back out. I was optimistic and went into the show bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, but would that optimism last?

Thankfully for me, not every act on the three-band bill was a cover band. Erie, Pennsylvania-based Brooke Surgener started the night. Her soft and folksy leaning sound was quiet but oh so very powerful. I was instantly enamored by this woman as she sang songs about everything from depression to hating everyone. Her overall style was extremely chill and soft, but, as mentioned, there was a fire behind everything she did on stage, which made her feel almost like a larger-than-life character. Like we weren’t worthy to be in the presence of such a talent and bright soul.

Although she knew her place in this bill, acknowledging that people were at this show to hear songs they knew, Brooke didn’t hold back and laid her heart and soul bare on the small stage for all to see and hear. It was this self-awareness that just really did me in as far as my love for her. She was able to joke with the audience throughout her quick opening set but would instantly turn it off as she told the stories behind the songs she was playing. These stories weren’t the amusing kind of stories and seemed to revolve around mental health, but the way Brooke spoke seemed to give me, and everyone else in the audience who struggles with their mental health, this sense of power and strength. I promise it’s not just because she was the only one to take the stage that performed originals– Brooke Surgener is a name to watch and, with her recording in Minnesota frequently, one that you will hopefully be seeing more of in this blog.

The turnover between Brooke and the next act, Daytona Beach 2000 was quick which was a pleasant surprise and a good way for the night to flow. It was clear that the audience members weren’t your typical concert-going folks. I don’t mean that in a bad way, more just the amount of people asking me if they could take their own pictures (noticing the camera hanging from my neck) or asking if I knew where the bathrooms were told me everything I needed to know. This was a cover band crowd through and through, so they were itching for a set like the one that Daytona Beach 2000 gave them.

Daytona Beach 2000 focused in on early 2000s pop-punk covers which definitely spoke to my soul. Their sound choice was immaculate playing songs by everyone from Jimmy Eat World to Good Charlotte. I was in heaven as I was listening to the daily playlist of my life unfold mere inches in front of me but, at the same time, I couldn’t help but think back to seeing all of the bands they covered for real within the past eight months. Again, this is my burden to bear and I understand that but I just could not get super into this set knowing that I had just seen all of these bands recently. Don’t get me wrong, this trio did the songs with a sense of grace and energy that made it a super fun set but their copied songs that they didn’t add any personality or flare to didn’t do it for me.

All that being said, Daytona Beach 2000 did play one original– “Mental Block”. I loved the way this song blended into the other tracks with its nod to early 2000s pop-punk nostalgia. Another thing I loved about this one moment of their set was the fact that you could finally see a sense of passion radiate from the band as they played this original. Maybe I was looking for it or maybe I’m making this up but I just felt that three band members on stage seemed to finally give me that spark I look for when it comes to live concerts while playing “Mental Block”. If this band came back to play an original set, I would give them a second chance.

The 7th Street Entry was packed as the stage was, again, quickly turned over for the headlining act, First To Eleven. I was a bit confused as the members of Daytona Beach 2000 retook the stageretook the stage after leaving but, as they started playing the first of what would turn into a relatively lengthy set of covers spanning all genres and eras, I realized that First To Eleven is just Daytona Beach 2000 with an added member. I’ll be honest, I have some strong feelings about this move. I guess I was hoping to see three completely different acts on Thursday night. Instead, I felt like I saw two and a half.

Although the most significant difference between Daytona Beach 2000 and First to Eleven was the different song choice and the addition of vocalist Audra Miller. Sure, there was also the addition of a super fun almost wedding-party styled light show but, beyond that, like I mentioned, I felt like I was just kind of watching the same band again. In the same breath, what Audra brought to the stage was stunning. I was a bit surprised and confused how her voice was able to go from pop to country in the blink of an eye but that goes to show the true talent behind this woman. This is also the redeeming factor of First to Eleven’s set for me. Instead of just playing songs from a particular style or era, this band was all over the place truly giving the audience a variety of music and vibes to dance and sing along to.

I’m a brat, I know. Honestly, everyone who graced the stage on Thursday night was talented, but the show didn’t do it for me. On top of that, as the night was wrapping up, I could feel myself getting a bit frustrated. Here I was in a packed venue, hearing songs that weren’t even the performer’s own. I was at this same venue on Sunday night watching a band play their heart out and perform their original tracks but was surrounded by only about a dozen people. This frustrates me on many levels. I know that I should be happy because live music is live music and it was being supported on Thursday night but, again, I just wish there was that same hype for the original local music that I see night after night.

Line Up:

Brooke Surgener

Daytona Beach 2000

First to Eleven

Venue: 7th Street Entry

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 41

Crowd Surfers- 0

Mosh-ability- 1 out of 10

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

Broken Bones- None

Spotted Flying Through The Air- Nothing

Fights- None

Pukers- 0

Passed Out Kids- None

Idiots Taken Out By Security- 0

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

Brooke Surgener – 0

Daytona Beach 2000 – 0

First to Eleven – 0

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score- 7 out of 10

Show on Deck- VERSKOTZI / Chris Koza / Beemer

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