Girl at the Rock Shows

I needed something to redeem the disappointing show I saw on Friday. It’s weird, but when a show just doesn’t do it for me, I end up going to bed feeling unfilled and quite depressed. Thankfully, the show on Saturday night at The Turf Club picked me right up.

My anticipation for the opening act, Squirrel Flower, had been building since January when I first saw them headline at The 7th Street Entry. Their music, though calmer than my usual taste, had a unique power that left me captivated. The prospect of experiencing this power again, now in a solo show by the vocalist Ella O’Connor Williams, was exhilarating. I was prepared for something beautiful and a generous display of talent, but I was unprepared for the sheer magnitude of what was to come.

Squirrel Flower’s solo set was the kind of set where I didn’t even want to bring my camera out due to the shutter sound. Although the sound of my shutter is typically masked by the sound of a full band, I knew that even the slightest movement would distract from the talent that the packed Turf Club was being treated to. You could literally hear a pin drop in this club as Ella sang her heart out and, as gorgeous as it was, it made me nervous so, instead of reaching for my camera to get shots of this beautiful songstress, I opted to whip out my phone and hope for the best but honestly, pictures were the furthest thing from my mind. Squirrel Flower had completely captivated me again, as she had the first time I saw her; this time, she did it without the bombastic sound of her band. I was in awe. I’m not typically one of singer-songwriter music, especially on a Saturday night when I already had a couple of drinks running through my veins, but there I was, completely in shock and awe of this woman’s sound and talent.

Like so many other acts out there, I’ve honestly lost count of how many times I’ve seen Pedro the Lion live, but that’s not going to stop me from going back again and again and again, and, well, you get it. The music of Pedro the Lion, like that of Squirrel Flower, is much more chill than I typically go for, but there’s something about vocalist David Bazan’s voice that always fills me with such a sense of comfort and tranquility. Saturday night’s extensive set was no different. Joined on stage by two other amazing musicians, David sang from behind his drum set and instantly set my heart on fire in a way that was both comforting and invigorating.

The music of Pedro the Lion, as mentioned, is almost meditative in a way and I’m not the only one who felt that. As I looked around the packed audience, I realized that, instead of singing along to every word, people were drifting off into their own minds or their own “happy place”. It was clear that the music of this band was having a huge effect on everyone there but, at the same time, it wasn’t the kind of effect that I typically see. Even though the music was a bit louder than that of Squirrel Flower, the feeling was the same, and you could hear a pin drop between every song, making it hard to leave. But, really, who would want to leave a set that was so captivating and good?

I lost track of how many songs Pedro the Lion played, and I honestly couldn’t tell you the particular tracks played other than a cover of “Taster” from Grandaddy, but I can tell you that each song came with as much of a sense of perfection as it came with heart. I mean, the lyrics of Pedro the Lion really say it all with the genuine way that David strings words together to make you truly feel something deep down in your bones, but I feel like something about the way he and his bandmates translate this into a live performance will leave you lost for words. Even though every song was performed flawlessly and had clearly been rehearsed time and time again, there was also something organic about it all, which just added a sense of magic to an already magical show.

I should have so much more to say about this show because of how hard it hit me and how truly gorgeous it was, but at the end of the day, I was lost in both the world of Squirrel Flower and Pedro the Lion in such a perfect way. This world is a crazy place, and it will drive you mad if you let it, but a show like the one on Saturday night at The Turf Club will remind you to slow down a little bit and also remind you that there is beauty out there if you stand still long enough to see it.

Line Up:

Squirrel Flower

Pedro the Lion

Venue: Turf Club

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing

Average Age of the Crowd: 45

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability-0 out of 10

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

Broken Bones- None

Spotted Flying Through The Air- Nothing

Fights- None Witnessed

Pukers- 0

Passed Out People- 0

Idiots Taken Out By Security – 0

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

Squirrel Flower – 1

Pedro the Lion – Maybe 11?

Celebrity Sightings – Ann of Mostly MN Music

Overall Score – 7.4 out of 10

Show on Deck —Lucero / The Menzingers / The Dirty Nil

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