Girl at the Rock Shows

Going to “new-to-me -venues” is like an exploration. I feel a bit like an undercover detective. From searching out the nooks and crannies of spaces to judging venues by the ambiance and mood that they create, there feels something a little “Harriet the Spy” about going to venues for the first or even second time. Sunday night was my second time in the lovely Green Room music venue in Uptown Minneapolis. My first time was during a completely sold-out show, which gave me little time and space to really explore. Although I hated the fact that Sunday night’s show there wasn’t super well attended (although there was a good audience eventually), I loved the fact that it gave me a chance to get to know this space a bit better.

Honestly, The Green Room is gorgeous, from the greenery hanging here and there to the secluded spot back past the bathrooms that comes complete with a sense of coziness all the way to the balcony. This is a well-put-together venue that feels clean and, most importantly, safe and comfortable. Although I was there with my boyfriend on Sunday night, this is the kind of place that I would feel more than comfortable being at alone and, as a concertgoer who is perpetually on her own and low-key enjoys going to shows alone more than anything, that’s super important. The staff felt attentive but also very laid back, creating this atmosphere that said, you’re safe, but you can also be on your own. Okay, I won’t spend this entire blog talking about The Green Room. I was there for the music, not the space, and you’re here to read about the music, not the space, but I have to give a huge standing ovation to the people behind The Green Room, and I urge you to check out a show– any show– at this beautiful space.

Okay, now into the music. Kicking things off was the local band The Makeouts. I have lost track of how many times this band has invited me out to catch them live. Unfortunately, it just never worked out until Sunday night. The Makeouts have a very vintage and retro sound that somehow fits so perfectly into what’s going on with music these days due to the modern twist they put on their sound. I watched in awe as this band seamlessly transitioned from a very indie-rock sound to a more rockabilly-inspired vibe and all the way to a slight Elvis influence that came through both sonically and with the dance moves of the vocalist/guitarist. I know I always gush over local bands, but I really have to say that The Makeouts are carving their own path in the local music scene. I couldn’t even begin to relate them to another band in town right now that has the same amount of creative originality or swagger, and that’s what stood out to me the most about their performance. It may have taken me a few offers here and there to finally catch The Makeouts live, but now that I have, all I want is more of their attitude, more of their sound, more of their energy. What a way to kick off a Sunday night show.

Following the Makeouts was Pity Party. To be quite frank, I was quickly turned off by this band because of the fact that the first couple of songs they played were covers. It’s not that they were done badly. In fact, their covers were flawless, and I loved the fact that the band members’ personalities and talents shined through the tracks. It’s more that I just hate cover bands. I’ve talked about that before, so I promise not to get on my soapbox when it comes to covers, but, long story short, why would I want to see a cover band when I have seen the majority of the “real bands” that are being covered? I know that’s a cocky thing to say, but it is what it is, and I can’t change that. Just when I was about to give up on Pity Party, the vocalist explained that the next song they were going to perform was an original about one night spent at Mortimer’s for their “Auto-Tune Karaoke” event and an existential crisis that happened in the bathroom there after one too many green tea shots. There was something about the honesty and quirky yet all-to-relatable stage that was set for that song. They had my attention and then continued to absolutely wow me with this original track. It made me wonder why a band with so much talent and so much personality would resort to playing primarily covers. You don’t need to answer that, I know the answer. People in the audience were into the covers. They had everyone in the crowd dancing and singing along, but, as a true music lover and one who goes to concerts to almost peek into other people’s lives and experiences through their music and the way they present said music, it just wasn’t for me (other than the original portions of their set).

Closing out Sunday night at The Green Room was Honey Please. This band instantly soothed the slight stress and frustration that I had felt after Pity Party (and that’s to no fault of Pity Party, I want to stress that that is one hell of a band with no shortage of talent). Honey Please’s sound had an almost Sublime element to it but was, overall, more of a straight-up indie-pop-sounding band. It was laid back and chill, yet it hit you like a Red Bull in the veins. I really liked the sweetness that came from this band as they performed. Although I felt that their sound was commanding, they gave people a space in the venue to catch up, have a drink, and chat a bit, and Honey Please didn’t protest that. Their performance was energetic but not in your face, and that seemed to create the perfect atmosphere for people to wind down from the weekend while also giving them some time to prep themselves for the week to come.

I went on an exploration of The Green Room on Sunday night and left with so much more than a sense of love for the venue. I left with three new bands to keep on my radar. I hope you find some time this week to explore a new venue. If that’s not in the cards, I hope you at least get to explore some new worlds by way of bands you know nothing about. There’s no better way to spend an evening.

Line Up:

The Makeouts

Pity Party

Elour

Honey Please

Venue: Green Room

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 29

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)-

The Makeouts – 0

Pity Party – 0

Honey Please – 0

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score – 8.2 out of 10

Show on Deck — Unattractive Giant Monster / Stay At Home Astronaut / Baltic Avenue / Neighborhood Watch

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