Girl at the Rock Shows

Tuesday was one of my best friend’s birthdays. Unfortunately, killer shows don’t stop coming to town just because it’s a friend’s birthday. Thankfully, this friend of mine is used to only being able to see me when I’m at a show, so she gave in, let me take her to dinner, and then joined me at the show. Although I’m sure she would have been doing a million other things with a million other people, I, personally, would have loved to have spent my birthday at such a killer and fun show.

After spending a few too many minutes at dinner and then getting stuck in a nasty snarl of traffic, my friend and I finally made it into the 7th Street Entry just a few songs into the opening act Devon Kay & The Solutions’ set. It has been years since I reviewed Devon Kay & The Solution’s album ‘Limited Joy,’ but it has only been a couple of days since their amazing music has hit the daily playlists of my life. This band is all over the place, and I love it. Clearly, this is one of those groups where every single member brings something to the table, creating a sound that can not be copied and feels truly fresh. From punk to ska and all the way to a bit of a standard indie-rock vibe at times, their set on Tuesday night highlighted the diversity and true talent within this band.

From the way that the trombonist and trumpeter did slow-moving ballet-like turns but making sure not to bump into each other by being perfectly in sync with each other to the small nod to “The Rock Show” by Blink 182 at one point (I couldn’t help but feel like maybe that was a nod towards me as that song is the namesake of this blog but I know that’s not why they did it), I felt like Devon Kay & The Solutions not only gave a super solid and well-rehearsed performance, they also gave the packed audience some twists and turns throughout their set which just added to the magic of their time on stage.

Unfortunately, one of the three bands slated to perform on Tuesday night fell off of this tour just a couple of days ago. I was honestly super excited at the prospect of seeing We Are The Union but understood why they had to drop off (see their Instagram page for more information and a powerful reminder to be kind to people during these very strange and, quite honestly, terrible times). I was hoping the fact that this Tuesday night show went from a three-band bill to a two-band bill in just a couple of days meant that we were going to get a long set from the opener but, sadly, that was not the case and, before I knew it, Devon Kay & The Solutions were packing up and making room for the headlining band to take over the small stage.

Thinking back, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Big D and the Kids Table live. That’s a shame because I’ve been in love with this band since their 2007 album ‘Strictly Rude’ came out and changed my life with the song “Shining On” specifically. That song, and the majority of the music from this group, is fun and punky, but it also has a positive message behind it. I loved that song and fell deep into the world of Big D before moving on and continuing down the path of musical obsession with all kinds of music. Even though I did move on, there are still some dark days where the only thing that can lift me up is “Shining On,” and I can not thank this band enough for that. All of this is why I was so excited to see them on Tuesday night and why, best friend’s birthday be damned, I was not missing this show.

Although I had never seen this band before, I felt like I knew what to expect, but to say that all of the members of this band exceeded my expectations would be an understatement. I got that fun-loving and sunny vibe that I had expected, but I also got a sense of heart and fire that caught me a bit off guard. There’s no denying that this band is one of the hardest working bands out there with their strict DIY ethos and seemingly we’ll sleep when we’re dead mentality, but I think just feeling all of that come out in what turned into a pretty lengthy set hit me in an oddly profound way. Add the personalities that shined across the stage throughout the set, but how, even though clearly having fun, this band was all business and making sure they gave the audience the best sound they could, and you were left with the best way to spend a Tuesday night.

I was not the only one who was clearly hit by the music and overall vibe from this band. From the very beginning of the set and until the final note had cleared the air, the packed audience was dancing and skanking their way through this set. It didn’t matter if you knew the words to all of the songs or not, if you were at this show, you were part of a dancing community that was not going to let you spend one second of this song with a frown on your face.

It’s no surprise that things have been a bit dark for a lot of people since the election last week but I think that spending my Tuesday night with these two bands helped remind me that there is still light in this world. I also think that I will be jealous of my bestie for a very long time that this was her birthday show.

Line Up:

Devon Kay & The Solutions

Big D And The Kids Table

Venue: 7th Street Entry

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 37

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 7 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)-

Devon Kay & The Solutions – 0

Big D and the Kids Table – 0

Celebrity Sightings – Dante of Space Monkey Mafia

Overall Score – 9.87 out of 10

Show on Deck — Dead History / Gay Witch Abortion / Big Salt

Shameless Self Promotion:

Join My Patreon Here!

Buy Me a Coffee (Seriously!)

Check Out My New Playlist With All of My Favorite Songs HERE!