Girl at the Rock Shows

There are a million exquisite scenes happening in the Twin Cities when it comes to music. You have a thriving punk scene, an explosive metal scene, a strong rap scene, all the way down to a flawless and fun-filled ska scene. I like to dabble in all of the above, but I have to be honest, I have the most fun at a local ska show, and that’s precisely what was happening at the 7th Street Entry on Sunday night.

Goodbye Mordecai opened up the night with their pop-punk jams. Although I wouldn’t call this act a straight-up ska band, their sound dabbles in the upbeat tempos and danceable beats, making them a perfect way to ease into a night full of bombastic horns and enough dancing to make your legs sore. Sunday’s set was a bittersweet one for this band as three of the five members took their final bow as part of Goodbye Mordecai at this show. Although a huge bummer, the remaining two members promise to continue on. I’m not sure what the more acoustic-based vibe of this band will be like as, as a full band, they bring so much light and energy to a stage, but I know I’m excited to see what the next chapter brings for this local band.

Up next was the only band on the bill I knew nothing about- Rhino Shrine. I loved the way that, within the first song, I was left wanting to know all there was to know about this band. Again, like Goodbye Mordecai, Rhino Shrine was not a straight-up ska band but definitely had ska tendencies. The cool thing about this group is how they infuse an almost grunge-style vocal into the otherwise bright instrumentation. It made for a sound unlike anything I had ever heard before and definitely put them on the map as far as local bands go for me. On top of that, their music had a groove, giving it an almost slight funk feeling at times. Long story short, Rhino Shrine is a unique band that has been around since 2017, meaning I definitely feel like I’ve been living under a rock when it comes to this band. That being said, I’ve seen the light, and this will not be the last time I write about this group.

The Prizefighters, the next band to grace the intimate stage at the 7th Street Entry, have been around for nearly twenty years, but Sunday night’s performance was their first time at this particular venue. I honestly found that kind of hard to believe as these guys have absolutely carved out a space in the vibrant local music scene, but, at the same time, I loved that I was able to experience the sheer energy and fun that this little tidbit brought to an already fun set. The Prizefighters is a staple act in the local ska scene, and their set on Sunday proved why. Like their performance, their sound is carefree and fun– the way ska should be. There was something so organic and almost improv feeling about the music, but, at the same time, everything was so well rehearsed and came off as flawlessly practiced. With a more 2-tone influence to their ska sound, I loved the almost retro feeling that their set brought to the night.

Whereas The Prizefighters seemed to pay homage to a more classic ska sound, Space Monkey Mafia powered through a set that leaned more into the modern-day ska scene. Okay, if you’ve been following me for a while, you’re probably sick of hearing about Space Monkey Mafia, so I will spare you a little, but seriously, you need to be watching this band. I mean that both literally and figuratively. Their live shows are bombastic, to say the least. Dante, the vocalist and one of this band’s horn players, is truly exciting to watch. The way they dance around with their sax slung around their neck as if the stage is their very own skank pit will put a smile on even the most sour face. Their sound will do about the same. It’s fun, and it’s fresh, but each of the songs they sing has a deeper meaning behind them. Be it politics or the fact that you really don’t have to move to Chicago, I love how every song from this band comes with their signature brand of heart and passion that just can not be ignored.

I’m honestly a bit confused about where Stacked Like Pancakes is from. I’m pretty sure it’s the East Coast (maybe the Baltimore area?), but I know their drummer is from here in the Twin Cities. To keep things clean, we are just going to claim them as a local band and trust me; we want them as our local band. Like Space Monkey Mafia, Stacked Like Pancakes’ sound is in the more modern vein of the ska scene and comes with a very pop-punk twist that reminded me of bands like Streetlight Manifesto and Less Than Jake. Their sound, like that of the four bands that played before them, was perfect and flawless but, more importantly, came with this flair of organic fun.

Stacked Like Pancakes’ set kicked off with a call and response. There was no other information given to the good-for-a-Sunday crowd other than to prepare for a call and response. I was a bit confused and worried that I was going to be left out when the rest of the audience was ready for what was to come, and I was a bit blind to it, but that’s when I heard it. “Are you ready kids?!” It was the Spongebob Squarepants theme song but in a style that only this band could pull off. Although a super short introduction, this fun and quirky cover definitely helped the entire audience warm up to the idea of dancing the rest of the night away with this brass-tastic band.

I see a lot of shows in a lot of different genres. I started this weekend with a local metal show on Friday, a local rap show on Saturday, and then this– local ska for Sunday. Although all of the shows over the weekend were great, I smiled more at this one than I did at the other two combined. What a perfect way to kick off the week.

Line Up:

Goodbye Mordecai

Rhino Shrine

The Prizefighters

Space Monkey Mafia

Stacked Like Pancakes

Venue: 7th Street Entry

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing

Average Age of the Crowd: 34

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Dance-ability- 9 out of 10

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

Broken Bones- None Noticed

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)-

Goodbye Mordecai – 1

Rhino Shrine – 0

The Prizefighters – 1

Space Monkey Mafia – 7

Stacked Like Pancakes – 0

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score – 9 out of 10

Show on Deck — Cage the Elephant / Young the Giant / Bakar / Vlad Holiday

Shameless Self Promotion:

Join My Patreon Here!

Buy Me a Coffee (Seriously!)

Looking For Something New To Listen To? Check Out My Playlist HERE!