Girl at the Rock Shows

One of my favorite things about having this blog and having it grow is all of the new music that gets sent my way. Whether it’s full albums or just songs, I absolutely love hearing things that I otherwise never would have heard. One of those things is the almighty JJ Wilde. Someone sent over her single “Best Of Me” about six months ago, just saying that it was worth my time. Worth my time, worth my attention, JJ Wilde instantly won over my heart with that single, so when I saw her name come across the calendar for The Turf Club in Saint Paul, I knew I had to be there.

Although I knew a few things about JJ Wilde, the headliner of the Monday night show, I knew nothing about opening act Callback, but by the time their set was done, I wanted to know everything I could about this group. They came off as professionals. I know that should go without saying because, well, it was a show that people paid money to be at, but, in all honesty, I feel like sometimes you go see bands, and they just do not come off as professionals and, instead, should probably keep their act in the garage. Not Callback. I was honestly shocked to do some digging and find out this band is local, but they truly struck me as being so much more than just a local Twin Cities act.

Callback’s music is perfectly poppy and perfectly infectious. It’s the kind of sound that makes you want to dance at some points and, at other points, just get lost in your feelings. The set started off with more of the danceable tracks before shifting into something a bit more serious as far as mood goes. Regardless of what kind of vibe was radiating from the stage during Callback’s set, it made you feel something profound in your soul and made you smile. Even during the more somber tracks from this band, there was something just so fun about watching them, and it quickly became apparent that every member of this band was truly just excited to be on stage and playing. It was charming, it was infectious, and it was perfect. I’m not sure where Callback came from or how they’ve flown under my radar for so long, but I know their name now, and it’s one that you can expect to read a lot more in this blog.

Just like it was clear to see that the members of Callback were loving every second that they spent in the spotlight on Monday night, it was obvious that headlining act JJ Wilde was born to be on a stage and doing precisely what she did at The Turf Club. Born Jillian Dowding, JJ Wilde is a Canadian singer-songwriter with a voice that absolutely needs to be heard. She has this undeniable sense of strength and grit behind her voice, but there’s also something stunningly beautiful about it. There are moments in her music where she could easily be compared to any of the top songstresses on the charts today and others where there’s a bit more grit and danger to her words, putting her in a world that leans more into the punk side of things. In 2021, JJ Wilde won Rock Album of the Year at the Juno Awards, and it’s quite obvious why that was the case. With only one full-length album out and just a couple of EPs, JJ Wilde doesn’t have a whole lot of material out there, but you wouldn’t have guessed that based on the sheer power she showed on Monday night.

Although I was absolutely floored by the talent of this beautiful singer, it was the little stories between songs that charmed me. JJ Wilde spoke about growing up in a small town in Canada, about giving up everything to move to Nashville and reinvent herself. It was those moments that acted as highlights in an already stunning set. Don’t get me wrong, the band behind JJ was flawless. They added intricacies into each song perfectly, but they only seemed to enhance JJ Wilde’s talent. Okay, that sounds worse than I mean it to. What I’m trying to say is how well the band created a space for JJ to shine rather than trying to steal the spotlight from her. At the same time, they were not easily ignored with the magic they added sonically. As much as I tried to watch the rest of the band, I could not take my eyes off of JJ Wilde throughout her set, which lasted well into the night.

Before Monday night, JJ Wilde was just a pretty face with a pretty voice that intrigued me after hearing a single. As I stood there watching her with my jaw on the ground, I realized that she is so much more than that. JJ Wilde is a powerhouse who has a very bright future ahead of her, and I can’t wait for her to be in the realm of acts like Billie Eilish and Nathaniel Rateliff, where I can brag to people about that one time I saw this true superstar on a surprisingly intimate stage.

Line Up:

Callback

JJ Wilde

Venue: Turf Club

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing

Average Age of the Crowd: 37

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 0 out of 10

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)-

Callback – 0

JJ Wilde – 0

Celebrity Sightings – Kaleb of Harbor & Home; Ann of Mostly MN Music

Overall Score – 9 out of 10

Show on Deck — Knocked Loose / The Garden / Drain / Militarie Gun

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