Girl at the Rock Shows

I had a productive Saturday planned for myself. I was going to get some work done, clean the house, and do some meal prepping- you know, standard people stuff- but that was all thrown off when I woke up to a super sick cat. I ended up spending my day at the vet and then just sitting with her. She’s doing okay today (thank God), but it definitely threw a wrench in my day, and when it came time to head out for my show on Saturday night at Cloudland, I really thought about bailing. My fur babies mean everything to me, but live music is also where I go to escape the day’s stresses, and saying that my day was stressful would be an understatement. I had a little talk with Cat (yes, my boyfriend and I have a cat named Cat) and explained that I couldn’t stay home with her all night. I had to go to work and needed her to feel better. Maybe it was just me, but I’m pretty sure she nodded at me as though she understood, so, with that, I gave her a kiss, told the other two cats to leave her alone, and was out the door.

Missing Saturday night at Cloudland would have been a mistake. That was made abundantly clear as I walked into this home, away from home, to the sounds of DJ Shannon Blowtorch. Shannon is a staple of the local music scene and definitely doesn’t get the credit they deserve, but their unique blend of old, new, fast, slow, and chaotic, chill music set the stage for Saturday night’s show. I don’t know how many people noticed the DJ set-up towards the back of the venue when they walked in, but everyone walked in with a bit of a groove in their step, which was solely because of Shannon’s work behind the turntables. DJ Shannon Blowtorch continued to spin their quirky and flawless blends of music between sets and then well into the night after the bands exited the stage, truly becoming a highlight of an already shining night.

The first band to take the stage was Cloudland– wait, I mean Partial Traces. Sorry for that slip-up but, really, this band is Cloudland. I was a bit confused as I saw the faces that typically greet me behind the Cloudland bar setting up on stage, but I instantly caught onto the fact that Partial Traces features Cloudland Theater owners Brad Lookesmoe on drums and Maren Macosko on vocals and keys. Obviously, I felt a bit of pressure when I realized what was happening. I felt the need to get the best pictures I could and write the best review that I could all because these two humans have given me, and a lot of other people in the scene, such a beautiful place to go to catch random (and amazing) shows at a reasonable price. That pressure was gone within the first song of Partial Trace’s set. The fuzzy soundscape that this band created filled the intimate space of Cloudland so perfectly. It was loud and even aggressive at times, with the roar of the instrumentation happening, but there was also something beautifully calm and chill about it. Throughout their time on stage, I caught onto nods to everything from The Cure to more punk-leaning bands that members of Partial Traces had been in previously, such as Banner Pilot and Off With Their Heads. It was raw, it was emotional, it was fiery and perfect.

What really stood out to me about this set was the fact that, after playing their amazing set and hauling their gear off the stage. Maren and Brad instantly went back to working behind the bar. I’m a hustler, and it’s a quality that I don’t think many people have these days, but seeing these two amazing humans go from rocking their hearts out on stage to slinging four-dollar Old Styles and glasses of “fancy wine” truly meant the world to me. Although I want you to check out Partial Traces because they are an amazing band, I also want you to visit Cloudland because of all this. It’s truly a venue made by musicians, for musicians, and that was crystal clear on Saturday night.

Up next on the four-act bill was the one and only Elour. I haven’t had a chance to catch Elour since March of 2023, but as soon as this band started playing, I started kicking myself for all of the times that I passed up a chance to catch this band live. The first thing that catches you about Elour is the vocals of Elizabeth Ghandour. Honestly, they leave me lost for words. Clearly classically trained but with a fire in her soul, Elour comes off as a siren-like songstress with an absolutely stunning range. There are moments where she truly hits some of the highest notes you’ve ever heard but makes it come off as natural. There are other moments where you feel a sense of primal rage, with some of the dark moments where her voice goes low and almost turns into a slight growl but with a sense of elegance. When you take that voice and add it to the way the band respects but pushes the boundaries of how much sound one band can produce, you are left with moments in time where you truly have no option but to get lost in Elour world, and if I’m being honest, it’s a world that we should all spend a little bit more time in because it’s gorgeous, cathartic, and perfect.

Closing out Saturday night’s festivities was the legend herself- Venus DeMars. I feel like calling Venus a legend doesn’t quite do this amazing woman justice. Not only does she have one of the best and most powerful voices out there (and that’s not up for debate), but she is also an activist as one of the first openly transgender artists. Every time I see Venus perform, I am struck by not only her beauty and talent but also by her all-around aura, and although she was sick and losing her voice on Saturday night, that did not change. I couldn’t imagine being in her shoes right now. Heck, I couldn’t imagine being in any trans-person’s shoes right now. I loved that, instead of bringing a sense of defeat and depression to the stage, Venus brought a sense of beautiful and powerful resiliency. She spoke about how there are people out there who want to make her and her bandmate disappear from the world, but she wasn’t about to let that happen. She went on to explain to people that they need to support their trans brothers and sisters. Although I feel like this was a given for the scene that had shown up for this show, it’s always a nice reminder, and I feel like hearing Venus say these things as the powerful activist she is just really put a nail in the coffin, as it were.

Venue DeMars continued to play a set that showcased her truly stunning voice. She apologized multiple times for not being able to hit her signature high notes as she was dealing with a slight illness, but those apologies seemed to fall on deaf ears. She didn’t need to apologize. She had nothing to apologize for. Really, hearing her voice become a bit scratchy here and there and having her shift to lower notes than usual added a grit and power to the set that matched the message that she was getting out there. It was raw, it was emotional, it was beautiful, it was perfect.

Clearly, I had the time of my life on Saturday night. Although the thought of my sick cat was in the back of my head the entire night, there were moments when all that mattered was the music, the people around me, and the space I was in. I knew it was going to be a good show, but I don’t think I saw Saturday night hitting me as hard as it did.

Line Up:

DJ Shannon Blowtorch

Partial Traces

Elour

Venus DeMars

Venue: Cloudland Theater

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 43

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)-

Partial Traces – 0

Elour – 1

Venus DeMars – 2

Celebrity Sightings – Ann of Mostly MN Music

Overall Score – 9 out of 10

Show on Deck — The Makeouts / Pity Party / Honey Please

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