Girl at the Rock Shows

I wanted Friday night’s show to be perfect. It has been a week, and although I’ve seen so much amazing music this week, it’s been rough. All I wanted on Friday night was one of those shows that made me feel everything and nothing at the same time. If you don’t know that feeling, I feel bad for you. It’s when your mind is racing, but when the downbeat hits, all of that racing calms, and you are given a chance to sort through those thoughts, stresses, and worries while finally feeling a much-needed sense of calm. Thankfully for me, that’s precisely what I got from Friday night’s show at Zhora Darling.

I know I just saw Battery Eyes (and Unstable Shapes, who were also on this bill) just a couple of weeks ago at this same venue (and a few weeks before that at Cloudland), but that didn’t change the way their music hit me on Friday night. This trio has such a flawless and anthemic sound that makes you want to raise your fist while making you want to groove around a bit. With drummer Aaron LeMay set up front and center, Nick Danger on bass, and Johnny Laberda on guitar, the way these three players bring a sense of life and fury to an otherwise no-frills kind of sound and set will always leave me stunned. Battery Eyes is one of those bands where it doesn’t feel like they are trying super hard to make you feel something or even sell you on their sound yet, within just a few seconds of them performing, it’s impossible to not fall into their web of punk-leaning songs and their signature flurry of emotion. I know I keep on seeing this band live and keep writing the same things about them, but the fact is that Battery Eyes is one of those just super solid local bands that I will never get sick of seeing live, so don’t think that this is the last time you will have to read about them and I’m not sorry about that.

Following Battery Eyes was Engine Summer from Chicago, Illinois. Honestly, this felt like a weird show to have a touring act on. The night had very strong local ties. From celebrating the release of the headliner’s new album to celebrating birthdays including members of Battery Eyes and Unstable Shapes, it just felt like such a “Minneapolis show,” but here was this Chicago band trying to mooch off of the good vibes that the Minneapolis scene has to offer. Okay, that’s how I felt before Engine Summer started their set. Within just a few seconds of their signature indie-rock jangle, that mind frame changed into the idea of, “Okay, maybe they are from Chicago, but can Minneapolis adopt this trio and claim them as our own?” I don’t know the logistics of that all, but seriously, this band was killer.

Sonically, I would call Engine Summer more of an indie rock band than anything else, but that doesn’t do their unique sound justice. There were elements of everything sprinkled into their set, from garage punk to pop-punk and all the way to even a slight hint of post-punk. Much like the sound of this band, watching these three guys play through their set was like watching chaos. You had Jeremy Marsan on guitar and vocals with a very bubbly and almost goofy personality. Ben Kostecki on bass and vocals who had more of a severe air about him but, at the same time, came off just as goofy. Lastly, Phil Courtright, on drums and more vocals, seemed like the kind of member that both reigned in the band while contributing little snarks of personality and hilarity into the mix. Long story short, even if you didn’t like their indie-rock jangle, there’s no denying the amount of fun that this band has on stage, and being able to be front and center for that was a perfect way to spend part of my Friday night.

Another thing that made my Friday night perfect was seeing my all-time favorite local band, Unstable Shapes. I know I have talked about this band a lot lately, so I promise not to drag on this portion of the blog because, honestly, I’ve said it all before, but I can’t understate how amazing this local band is. Unstable Shapes gave just what I was looking for. I found myself finally having a chance to sort through my thoughts and calm down a little bit after the insane week I had had. At the same time, they were giving me an outlet for the pent-up aggression, anger, sadness, stress, and everything else that had been piling up throughout the week. There’s something about watching vocalist Andrew Cahak perform that I can not get enough of. Don’t get me wrong, this entire band is super and beyond solid, but the way Andrew feels the weight of every word and lets that weight show on his facial expressions and the way he grips the microphone and microphone stand is something that is oddly cathartic and just one of the many things that I really enjoy about this band. As I said, I promised not to babble on about this band but, I have to say, they are my favorite in the scene right now and, if you haven’t had a chance to catch them live, you really need to change that.

Closing out Friday night’s show at the wonderful Zhora Darling and celebrating the release of their new album ‘they crumble’ was Pew Pew. Formerly known as Total Gaze, Pew Pew is one of those bands that I’ve been seeing the name of a lot but just haven’t had a chance to check out until now. Like the music of Engine Summer, I feel like it’s pretty hard to really give you an accurate description of Pew Pew outside of me telling you to just check them out. Their heavy-hitting yet oddly comforting set came complete with nods to post-punk, shoegaze, and even pop-leaning sensibilities here and there. It was full of life, and although just a trio, like two of the other acts to take the stage on Friday night, they brought a sense of commanding power and sound that made their set feel like so much more than just that of a trio. I’m new to Pew Pew’s world, so I couldn’t tell you if they spent their set on Friday night just playing through the new album or playing through some of their older music that dates back years. I can tell you that I am no longer sleeping on this band and can’t wait to dig into everything they have out there.

I wanted a show where I could feel everything and nothing at the same time. That’s exactly what I got from my time at Zhora Darling in Northeast Minneapolis. I hope you are able to find spaces and events where you get that feeling too. If not, maybe try a local show that comes with power, passion, and friendly faces.

Line Up:

Battery Eyes

Engine Summer

Unstable Shapes

Pew Pew

Venue: Zhora Darling

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 37

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 2 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)-

Battery Eyes – 2

Engine Summer – 0

Unstable Shapes – 2

Pew Pew – 0

Celebrity Sightings – Charlie of Crash Cuddle

Overall Score – 9.5 out of 10

Show on Deck — Venus De Mars / Elour / Partial Traces / Shannon Blowtorch

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