Girl at the Rock Shows

Caley Conway said something during her set on Thursday night at Cloudland that really stuck with me. She was talking about how glad she was that people chose to come out to the show rather than just sitting at home and wallowing in the darkness that was cast over this country with the election results. She went on to say how she uses her music to bring a little bit of positivity and brightness to the world, and that wouldn’t stop just because we find ourselves in such a weird and frankly screwed-up time. It was a simple statement. It’s a short little anecdote that took up mere seconds of a gorgeous set from this singer-songwriter, but it hit me like a ton of bricks. She was right. No matter what happens, at least we have music to give us hope, and that, mixed with the sense of community and family that seemed to highlight the Thursday night show, was just what I needed.

Local duo Skinsuit was up first on the cozy stage of The Cloudland Theater in Minneapolis. The pair wasted no time jumping into a whimsical set that featured songs about a little bit of everything. My personal favorite was the song that they did about whales. Although I understand that not everyone cares as deeply for whales as others, there was something just so charming and cute about this song, and that charm and cuteness radiated throughout their set. The chemistry between the two musicians on stage was a highlight of the set for me. Whether it was a nonverbal motion or the way these two bantered on stage in a very soft yet comical way, I just really enjoyed seeing these two humans come together through the music and, in turn, bringing everyone in the audience into their world. It wasn’t the most intense sound I’ve ever heard, but the soft pitter patter of the drum machine mixed with the airy and light voices that lingered on top of said drumbeat and other light instrumentation just really set the stage for what was to be a truly beautiful night.

Caley Conway was the next to take the stage. The sole touring act of the night, Caley instantly transported everyone in the room to a place where things were lush and beautiful. There weren’t complicated politics, complicated jobs, or complicated thoughts; there was just Caley, her amazing backing band, and her heart. I think that I underestimated the toll that this week took on me. Heck, I think we all underestimated it a little bit, but Caley somehow showed me how affected I was by everything and soothed my soul with her beautiful soul and angelic voice.

I’ll be honest: there were no real “wow moments” that stood out to me throughout Caley Conway’s short set, but, instead, the entire set struck me as beautiful. Hey delivery was conversational and it was soft. There were moments when I felt that it was a bit hard for me to hear the lyrics and follow the storylines in her pop-leaning tracks, but, at the same time, that was the point. Her music, like her words, is vulnerable. It exposes dark truths but also hides messages behind the lines. It’s not meant to be caught onto at first listen but, instead, made to sink in after time as if it’s holding you hostage, but in a good way. Caley’s new album, ‘Partner,’ just came out last week (which is home to many of the tracks she played on Thursday night). I know that I have a long and busy day ahead of me, but I can’t wait to find time in that busy day to get lost entirely in Caley Conway’s world again.

Local soft pop indie-rock band Spaceport was the final act to take the stage on Thursday night at Cloudland. Like the previous two sets, there really wasn’t anything super exciting or catchy about Spaceport’s set, but that doesn’t mean it was a bad one. They had me stuck in the palm of their hands as they danced through a set revolving around songs that they would be going into the studio next week to record. It was the first time that this band was performing these songs, but you wouldn’t have been able to tell that without them saying it. There was something fresh and crisp about all of the songs, and although some of them felt a bit hollow compared to what I typically listen to, it was clear that every note, every intricacy, was well thought out and perfectly placed.

Overall, Spaceport’s set was super low-key. It wasn’t quite what I was in the mood for, but it ended up being the perfect soundtrack for my Thursday night. As the band announced their departure from the stage, the audience pleaded with them for one more song, and after just a couple of words between band members, Spaceport agreed to play one more, older track. I don’t know what switch flipped, but this final song was my favorite moment of the entire night. “Unfortunately, I didn’t catch the name of the track, but it “Someone At Radio Shack Looks Exactly Like Me” had this sense of power and slight angst behind it that I hadn’t heard all night. More than that, like the rest of their music, it was a perfectly composed and curated track. It was fun and bubbly but still had that beauty behind it that Spaceport clearly does so well. Although I cozied up to the idea of a more low-key night based on what I had gotten from all three acts at Cloudland, I really wished I had gotten more of this side of Spaceport just because it was more in line with what I thought I was in the mood for.

Things are weird. I can’t stress that enough. And things are going to get a bit weirder before we all feel back to normal (whatever normal is). All three acts that performed on Thursday night reminded me that it’s okay to have things that are larger than you affect you in a profound way. But they also showed me that you can find peace in little things like a random Thursday night show at your favorite venue surrounded by people who you had never met before, yet somehow those people felt like family by the end of it all. Like I’ve been saying since Tuesday, I hope you can find some peace in this crazy world, and if you’re struggling to find it, I suggest hitting up a local venue and checking out some local music made by people who are feeling the weight of the world just like you are.

Line Up:

Skinsuit

Caley Conway

Spaceport

Venue: Cloudland

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 26

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)-

Skinsuit – 0

Caley Conway – 0

Spaceport – 0

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score – 7.6 out of 10

Show on Deck — The Dip / Jordan Mackampa

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