Girl at the Rock Shows

I’m starting to get antsy about my trip to Las Vegas later this week. Honestly, I hate flying, and having to do it alone definitely makes it worse, but that’s what I’ll be doing. My anxiety is sky-high. Add my stress level and the fact that I’ve been on a show bender, so I’m beyond exhausted, and you are left with a very overwhelmed Girl at the Rock Shows. Honestly, I feel like I’m overwhelmed most of the time, so this isn’t anything new, but by the time Tuesday night came around, I was craving anything that would make me feel grounded for the first time in a bit and anything that would help calm everything happening in my head. The concert Gods apparently knew this because both of the acts that I say at First Avenue’s legendary main room on Tuesday night did just that.

Opening up the night was Nolan Taylor. He quickly laid his heart into the spotlight as he played through a forty-five-minute set full of songs that could make even the strongest human fall to their knees and whimper. That doesn’t sound good, I know that, but the beauty of seeing this man really lay it all out there and prove that men can be sensitive too was something that struck me in such a way that at points, when snapping photos of the singer-songwriter during the first couple of songs, I couldn’t help but put the camera down and just watch him. I took in every second of emotion from him, and, at times, it was pretty overwhelming but in a stunningly beautiful way.

Nolan’s set wasn’t solely deep and depressive thoughts. The moments where he joked with the audience and let the more positive aspects of his personality shine were just as bright as those moments of pure, dark emotion. I loved how he would introduce many of his songs by saying that that particular song saved his life. It happened multiple times throughout the set. At first, I thought this was a bit cheesy and cocky, but as I saw him pour his heart into his microphone and guitar, I realized that it was probably true– every song he has written means so much to this man, and you could literally feel that as he performed. Those songs not only saved Nolan’s life but also obviously saved the lives of some of those in the audience, creating an absolutely perfect and captivating atmosphere throughout his set.

Nolan Taylor was a magical way to start my Tuesday night, and that magic continued into the headlining set of Benjamin Tod and Lost Dog Street Band. This group is very bluegrass-inspired (but comes with many other elements ranging from country to punk), so why was I here? I caught Lost Dog Street Band back in February of 2019 when they opened for The Devil Makes Three at First Avenue. If I’m being honest, I don’t remember much of that show. I remember that it was absolutely freezing and that I was completely taken aback by what Lost Dog Street Band had given me, so I was excited to see if they were still captivating audiences and leaving people like myself completely in awe.

Spoiler alert: They are. From the moment this four-piece jumped into their set and all the way until the final note was left hanging in the air, I was stuck in their world, and it was a world that, by the end of the night, I never wanted to leave. Like the music of Nolan Taylor, there’s a really personal edge to the music of Benjamin Tod & Lost Dog Street Band that can not be ignored. Benjamin absolutely has a way with words, creating lines of lyrics that will make you feel seen and exposed yet, at the same time, feel comfortable. It’s odd, and I don’t quite know how to explain it, but I felt this instant connection to this act even though I couldn’t tell you the name of a single song that they sang (because, although I did enjoy seeing them back in 2019, I really didn’t stick with them and go down that rabbit hole– which I am sorry for).

Although there was definitely something cozy and comfy about Benjamin Tod and Lost Dog Street Band, there was also something slightly severe and almost critical about frontman Benjamin Tod. From the way that he kicked off the set by introducing the band and mentioning that, if you don’t like what the group is doing, well, “F*#& you!” to the intense way he would scan the room in an almost intimidating way, there was just something about the energy of this man that caught me off guard yet added a unique spice to the night that I couldn’t get enough of. It felt dangerous but honest. Raw but beautiful. Polished but gritty. Long story short, all of the small elements that make up this band, their sound, and their performance seemed to be a contradiction, but it made it such a memorable set.

As I mentioned, I have been on edge lately due to my impending travel plans, but the music and energy of both Nolan Taylor and Benjamin Tod & Lost Dog Street Band absolutely brought me back down to earth, if only for a little bit. I don’t think that would have happened with just any show. Although it was a bit out of my normal comfort zone, this was the perfect show for my Tuesday night.

Line Up:

Nolan Taylor

Benjamin Tod and Lost Dog Street Band

Venue: First Avenue

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 47

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

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)-

Nolan Taylor – 0

Benjamin Tod and Lost Dog Street Band – 1

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score – 8.1 out of 10

Show on Deck — Metalachi / Borrachoz Inc

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