Girl at the Rock Shows

Having two venues literally right next door to each other is a dream come true for a concert addict like myself, but it also causes issues like the issue I faced on Thursday night. I was already slated to cover the show that was happening in First Avenue’s mainroom, so, just for kicks, I checked out what was happening in the smaller, more intimate “downstairs” venue, the 7th Street Entry. It happened to be a local band that had me hooked the first time I saw them at The Turf Club last summer. I couldn’t make up my mind, so why not cover both shows? Great in theory, but when push came to shove, I found it hard to leave either show to go to the other. That’s because both shows were just so good for both same and different reasons.

Getting things started at the more intimate 7th Street Entry was local four-piece True Lust. Sadly, I couldn’t stay in True Lust’s world for long as both shows on Thursday night inconveniently started at the same time, but the time that I did spend with True Lust was truly amazing. Their sound is a bit poppy, a little dream pop at moments even, but, at others, there was more of an angst behind the words and notes that radiated off of the stage. Over it all, there was an almost surf punk attitude that came off of this stage. The influences behind True Lust were clearly all over the place. This created a sound that was so easy to get wrapped up in because, like my day and this week in general, it had stark ups and downs, highlighted by elegant words strung together and floating above the instrumentation that seemed to have a slight rigidity. I wish I could have spent more time with True Lust on Thursday night, but they definitely gave me enough to be intrigued and want to see so much more.

Following True Lust was Spun Out- the sole touring act on the bill. Hailing from Chicago, Spun Out had a sound that seemed to expand on the slight jangle that I picked up on in True Love’s set. Their set started off with a sound of ambiance and almost spacey chatter. I was afraid that this set wouldn’t be deep enough to really hook me and may stay a bit more ambient than I was in the mood for, but within no time, Spun Out shifted into the meat and potatoes of their sound. It was a psych-rock sound full of pop bliss and lush jangles (but also with a strong sense of organic dreaminess that related back to that ambient start).

Although it wasn’t super packed, Spun Out brought a sense of energy to the small venue that felt a bit larger than the space. It was one of those sets that, although I had never heard of them before and there weren’t many people to hide behind, I found myself dancing along to their infectious beats. I could feel their profound words and emotions that came with said words seep deep into my soul. Long story short, if I could feel this much from Spun Out in a smaller and understated Thursday night show, I can only imagine the magic that would happen at a packed Friday concert. My eyes are on this band, and I can’t wait for them to visit the Twin Cities again.

If you don’t like synth-pop, local band, and the headlining act of Thursday night, Finesse would not be for you. The first time I saw them last year, I remember questioning whether synth-pop was my thing. After that fateful night, I dug my heels into the scene and into Finesse’s music in particular so as to have a chance to see this duo perform again, but this time, with a new set of eyes and a newfound love for what they are doing, really made me fall deeper in love with this act. Although this duo’s sound is a bit dated with that heavy 80s-inspired synth-pop sound, Patrick Donohoe and Jeff Cornell (who make up this duo) have this modern take on it that seems to both take you back to the glory days of this style while reminding you that it is, overall, a super fun sound and leads to a playful set.

Playfulness is what drew me to this band in the first place. I love watching these men perform. It’s clear that they are constantly striving to get the audience their best sound possible, but, at the same time, they don’t let that aspect of their performance consume them. Watching these two dance their way through a set brings a sense of personality to an already bold sound, and I feel like it makes it more approachable. That’s not to say their music isn’t already approachable because it is. The heavy beat mixed with the razzle-dazzle of the synths and then the way the vocals just kind of linger on top of it all is truly something that is truly magical and so easy to be mesmerized by. After a couple of tracks, it was time for me to head back up to First Avenue’s mainroom to close the night out up there, but, in all honesty, I left part of my heart with Finesse down in the 7th Street Entry.

Line Up:

True Lust

Spun Out

Finesse

Venue: 7th Street Entry

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 28

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 1 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)-

True Lust – 0

Spun Out – 0

Finesse – 1

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score – 7.9 out of 10

Show on Deck — Low Cut Connie / Sweat / Fimone

Shameless Self Promotion:

Join My Patreon Here!

Buy Me a Coffee (Seriously!)

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