Girl at the Rock Shows

What in the heck is going on? It was nearly 80 degrees outside on Tuesday, October 29th. I know that may not be weird for some places on the planet, but it was more than weird for Minneapolis. Honestly, it had me feeling a little doomed, but we don’t have to get into that. All that matters is that although the world was feeling a bit strange, I had a show to go to, and I knew that that would make everything feel normal. Okay, maybe not everything because walking out of the show and into balmy weather was not normal, but at least, mentally, I was feeling normal.

I didn’t know what to expect from the show at Zhora Darling on Tuesday night. Honestly, I almost didn’t go. I hate going to new places alone, and although I’ve been to Zhora Darling a couple of times for shows, this was my first time going alone. Anticipation and anxiety had been building up in me my entire drive to the cute and stylish venue and restaurant. I sat in my car, studying the parking signs to make sure I wasn’t parked in a spot that would warrant a ticket, and wondered if anyone would care if I just went back home and called it a night. That all being said, I needed a show, so I pulled on my big girl pants and did it alone, but at the end of the night, I was far from alone. Although I didn’t talk to anyone other than two people I knew before the night who were working at the venue, I felt a sense of welcome and belonging from the second I stepped into the venue until I walked out the door.

I was super excited to see the opening act, Linus, take the Zhora Darling stage as this is a band name I have been seeing for some time, but I quickly realized, upon trying to tag them on social media, that there are two bands named Linus here in the Twin Cities. There’s the pop-punk band Linus and then the Linus that I saw on Tuesday night. Although I’m absolutely a pop punk princess through and through, the shoegazey Linus that kicked off the show on Tuesday night hit me just as hard. Without facing the crowd other than to encourage people to move closer to the stage, the band powered through an opening set of sounds that emoted this severe sense of emotion. Although definitely not the most energetic set of the night, there was something about Linus’ sound that was full of life, emotion, and energy, making it the perfect way to get the night started.

Chicago-based Interlay was up next. This band, like Linus, absolutely packed a punch with the short time they were given on stage (really, all of the sets were short, so that’s not a dig on them or anything like that) but brought a bit more energy to the DIY-feeling venue. I honestly could not take my eyes off of vocalist and guitarist Alexandria Ortigiesen. Alexandria had something very almost controlled about her playing, but, at the same time, there was this undeniable sense of fervor behind everything Alexandria did. Add the energy that the other three members of this band brought to the stage just with the pure passion that they were clearly laying out on the stage for all to see and you were left with a slightly explosive and absolutely addicting set.

Although everyone who took the Zhora Darling stage on Tuesday night was amazing, it was MX Lonely who stole my heart. I honestly knew nothing about this band prior to their set on Tuesday, but within just a few seconds, I knew that I wanted to know everything there was to know about this Brooklyn-based group. They had that signature brand of energy that reigned supreme throughout all of the bands that performed, but MX Lonely’s energy came with an extra dose of angst and an extra set of teeth. Although some of their songs felt like they were getting to the edge of chaos, the four band members were in control throughout their set, adding a sense of thrill to their sound that I just could not get enough of. On the other side of the same coin, I loved the raw vocals that came with each track. It was clear that vocalist Rae Haas truly believed and felt every word that they sang throughout the set and, in turn, made it impossible for those words to not hit you straight to the core.

Local hardcore act Ca$ual was the final band to take the stage, and they definitely ended the night with a bang. This group was easily the heaviest of the night, which meant that, instead of fading out into the night, I was sent back home with a sense of fury in my veins. Although intense and slightly chaotic, this trio has perfected the way they present their brand of fury and intensity to the crowd. Honestly, the members of this band felt a bit soft-spoken for how intense their music was, but that added to the charm. Although their closing set didn’t last long, the group packed a punch and left me wanting so much more from them. I’m thankful that Ca$ual is a local band, and they are one that you will definitely be reading more about in the near future.

This world is a weird place. I hope you have a place you can go to escape it all. If you don’t, might I suggest checking out a random show and letting the unfamiliar sounds and faces take you over?

Line Up:

Linus

Interlay

MX Lonely

Ca$ual

Venue: Zhora Darling

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 27

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 3 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)-

Linus – 0

Interlay – 0

MX Lonely – 0

Ca$ual – 0

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score – 8.2 out of 10

Show on Deck — GWAR / Dark Funeral / Squid Pisser

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