Girl at the Rock Shows

Wednesday night was the first “true snowfall” of the season. Although I found it super pretty and cozy, it was also stressful and a reminder of what the next couple of months have in store for Minnesota. The roads were slightly wet when I left the house to make my way to The Fillmore in downtown Minneapolis, but people were driving like it was pure ice (which it turned into just in time for a treacherous drive home). It was slow going at best, and after almost double what it typically takes, more curse words than I care to admit to, and more road rage than I’ve felt in a long time, I finally landed in a parking ramp where I and my car could be safe from the madness. Thankfully, I knew it would be a rough drive in, so I still made it inside the Fillmore with some time to spare and to take some deep breaths as I prepped for what was next with my night.

Up first on the stage was Goody Grace. The sound and tone of this Canadian singer-songwriter weren’t quite what I expected, knowing what I knew about the headliner. Rather than aggressive and in your face, as I would have thought, given the nature of this show, Goody Grace’s sound was slow, tender, and deliberate. It quickly became clear that the audience wasn’t super into it as there seemed to be a battle of conversations trying to bury his sound and people shouting words of encouragement up to the stage. Regardless of what was happening, Goody Grace (born Branson Gudmundson) stayed true to his sensitive sound and gave a truly sparkling performance. I loved how, although, overall, this was a very classic singer-songwriter set, I was able to sift through influences that ranged from Fences to My Chemical Romance and all the way to Cage the Elephant (which took the spotlight as Goody Grace did a stunning cover of “Cigarette Daydreams”). Goody Grace may not have been the opener I had expected, but he caught my attention with the short time he was given on stage.

IDK, the next act to take the stage was definitely more of what I imagined I would get from the openers on this show. IDK’s set was full of life that came with a slight edge of aggression. That’s not to say that Goody Grace didn’t bring a sense of energy and life to the stage; he absolutely did, but the slight aggression part made IDK feel like a better fit for this show for me. IDK is a British-American rapper, singer, songwriter, and producer. His sound comes with a bit of a sharp tongue, but there were also moments throughout IDK’s short time on stage that highlighted his more sensitive side. Whether he was getting the audience hyped for what was to come next or just serenading us all into a wonderous dreamland, the dynamics throughout IDK’s set were more than enough to have me sold on this talented man. I also really enjoyed the fact that, although first and foremost a rapper, IDK ended his set with a super well done and creative cover of an Arctic Monkeys song. I loved that this made someone who maybe I wouldn’t listen to on the daily feel super accessible as I could relate to this track. Long story short, I thoroughly enjoyed IDK, and this would be an act that I actively try and see again soon, even though he’s not my usual cup of tea.

We all have our guilty pleasures when it comes to music. It’s those songs that you listen to in the dark or the people that you follow but don’t talk about on social media. Those ones that, for some unexplainable reason, their music hits, and it hits hard, but maybe it’s not “cool” to like them, or maybe they are just so far out of your element you’d rather not tell people about your obsession with a particular musician or group because it’s just easier to not talk about it than explain it. Rapper G-Eazy is one of those people for me. I’m honestly not sure what it is. Sure, there are some lines of lyrics of his that really hit down to the core, and, yeah, there are some of his songs that come on, and I can’t help but start dancing, but overall, I couldn’t tell you why I really enjoy this “cool to hate” performer. What I can tell you is that I was just as excited as those around me as G-Eazy took the Fillmore stage on Wednesday night.

After playing through a couple of fast-paced and slightly aggressive tracks (including my personal favorite, “I Mean It”), G-Eazy (born Gerald Gillum) took a second to chat with the audience. He talked about how, although he tends to praise every city that he plays in and everyone that comes out to his shows, he really has a deep appreciation for Minnesota. He went on to say that people up here in Minnesota are just built differently. We are the kindest, sweetest, most supportive people out there, and although these all could have been just words being said to butter up the audience to get them to buy more merchandise and grab another drink, I would like to think that he really meant what he was saying.

There were rises and falls throughout G-Eazy’s set as far as the music was concerned. From quick-paced bangers to more sensitive tracks that seemed to focus on this musician’s more tender side, there was just always this sense of movement throughout the lengthy set. That movement was only exaggerated by the audience. People at this show were wild. There’s no other way to put it, and although I was feeling a bit sluggish and very exhausted, the energy that I was getting from the music mixed with those around me was just what I needed to power through the night. Wednesday night may have been just another show for me, but, for some people, this was the moment they had been waiting for, and it’s safe to say that G-Eazy and his backing band did not disappoint.

As mentioned, my drive home was treacherous. I’m a super good driver, especially in snow and ice, but there were many moments throughout the trek home when I thought about just pulling off the road and figuring something else out. Even with the white-knuckle stress happening in my head, I was more than thankful that I had braved the weather (and roads) for this show.

Line Up:

Goody Grace

IDK

G-Eazy

Venue: Fillmore

Smell-O-Meter: Jazz Cigarettes

Average Age of the Crowd: 23

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 3 out of 10

Broken Bones- None Spotted

Spotted Flying Through The Air- Bras

How Many Bras Were Thrown at G-Eazy – At least 13 (Come on, ladies, those are expensive. What are you doing and what year is it?!)

Fights- None Witnessed

Pukers- 1

Passed Out People- 1

Idiots Taken Out By Security – 1

How Many Times I’ve Seen These Bands Before (or at least how many times I can remember)-

Goody Grace – 0

IDK – 0

G-Eazy – 2

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score – 8.7 out of 10

Show on Deck — Snotty Nose Rez Kids / Travis Thompson / Bigg Kiaa

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