Girl at the Rock Shows

I didn’t write about my Friday night show because it was one of those nights where the time I spent with a friend seemed more important than the actual show. In all honesty, I almost didn’t write about the show on Saturday night for the same reason, but it just doesn’t feel right. Going to a show, whether or not I was there for the music or the social aspects of it, and not telling you all about it feels weird, so here I am, writing about a show that, although great, I spent a bit more time talking to my friends at rather than actually listening to the music and, if you ask me, that’s okay.

Although I didn’t actually go into the venue side of the Amsterdam Bar & Hall until the second band was nearly done with their set, I was on the bar side in time to hear Careful Gaze kick off one of their signature sets. A signature of Careful Gaze is the emotion that they put into each song, and I loved the fact that, although it was separated by a garage door, I could still feel that emotion. Out of the four bands that played on Saturday night, Careful Gaze’s sound was a bit more up my alley and something I could connect with a little better than the following three sets, so I definitely regret not popping into the venue side for at least one song from them. That being said, having their sounds be the accompaniment to a conversation with a friend that I just don’t get to see enough really added something special to my evening.

Up next was In Search of Solace. Having just seen them a month ago when they opened up for Reflections at this same venue, I tried to convince myself that it was okay to let the conversations with friends linger into their set. I mean, when you do this night after night, concerts oddly turn into your one time to catch up with people. This doesn’t mean that I’m sick of shows or going to stop any time soon, but just think about it. You probably spend evenings with friends grabbing happy hour and dinner, but, for me, all of my evenings are taken up by shows, so, really, if my friends want to see me and get an update, they have to come to a show with me. All I’m trying to say here is that, although I didn’t make it to the venue side yet again as In Search of Solace was playing, the sound and power were not lost on me. It was almost kind of fun just hearing them and not seeing them because I liked making up their movements in my head, but that’s just me justifying a questionable choice on my Saturday night. 

Before I move on, I want to apologize to both Careful Gaze and In Search of Solace. I love both of these bands so much, and the fact that I spent their sets chatting with friends should not be a note of their talent or sound. They are both flawless, and each has a distinct brand of heavy and intense music that is done with an undeniable sense of heart. Long story short, don’t be me. Go see both of these bands when you can because they will definitely leave you impressed, to say the least.

I finally made my way into the venue side as Soulkeeper was taking the stage. Honestly, I had had enough of missing seeing the bands playing, and my friends and I had reverted to talking about cats, which, to me, means the conversations were done, and we were at a point where we could abandon our catching up for some live music. I’m so glad that this was when it happened because, to nobody’s surprise, Soulkeeper unleashed a set of perfect intensity and emotion on the packed audience. I actually just saw this band last month with In Search of Solace, so I won’t go super into their set, but I will say that, even though it had just been a month since I saw them last, I feel like they just continue to get better with time. Since the last time they were here, Soulkeeper embarked on an epic tour supporting Fit For a King, and I could quickly tell that that run not only put them on the map with their signature brand of perfection but also put the Twin Cities metal scene on the map as well.

This is a perfect lead into the headliner of the night- Silent Planet. Honestly, this California-based metalcore band didn’t have to make a stop in Saint Paul on Saturday night. It made no sense with their routing on their current tour as direct support for Dayseeker, but, like vocalist Garrett Russell told his booking agent, the only issue he had with the routing was that there wasn’t a Twin Cities date, so they made one. This makes sense as their new bassist is none other than local hero Nick Pocock of In Search of Solace (yes, he pulled double duty, and I honestly don’t understand how he was still standing at the end of the night). It also makes sense because, as I’ve been saying since day one, we truly have the best metal scene in the country. Sure, it has changed over the years, and people, like the bands, have faded in and out, but at the end of the day, I don’t think you’ll find a more supportive scene that is as in love with the music as they are the community anywhere else. 

Silent Planet isn’t my band, but if you know me or have been reading this blog for some time, you know that metal music isn’t really my thing. I mean, it is when it comes to living shows because I feed off of the energy of those around me, but when it comes to my everyday life, metal is not the soundtrack, so I can’t tell you much about what songs Silent Planet played or what album said songs were from, but I can tell you that they had me caught in the palm of their hands. Their show came complete with visuals playing on a screen behind the band, which added a super cool effect to their already stunning set that was full of power. There was just something about this fourth dimension, if you will, that made Silent Planet’s set stand out. On top of that, I felt like every note was perfect. Whether it was a specific tone of the guitar or the way certain words hung in the air as if to really drive the lyrics home, there was just a sense of depth but also emotion that drenched everything this band did.

Silent Planet is blowing up right now and I doubt that we will ever have a chance to see this band in such an intimate setting again. The fact that the only reason this show happened was due to the power that this scene has is not lost on me and although I’ve strayed from the local metal scene over the years as I get more opportunities to see other things, this is the scene that will always own my heart.

Line Up:

Careful Gaze

In Search of Solace

Soulkeeper

Silent Planet

Venue: Amsterdam Bar & Hall

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 28

Crowd Surfers- 8 Counted

Stage Divers- 3

Mosh-ability- 9 out of 10

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

Broken Bones- None

Spotted Flying Through The Air- Bodies

Fights- None Witnessed

Pukers- 0

Passed Out People- 1

Idiots Taken Out By Security – None Spotted

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

Careful Gaze – 1

In Search of Solace – 9

Soulkeeper – 8

Silent Planet – 0

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score- 8 out of 10

Show on Deck —Guitar Wolf / Hans Condor / CELICA

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