Girl at the Rock Shows

It was a lovely couple of days off, but by the time Saturday rolled around, I was ready for a show. Looking at venue calendars, I had some choices as far as what show I was going to use to break my short sabbatical, but I knew, in my heart of hearts, that The Turf Club was the only place to be on Saturday night.

Demon Marcus was first up on the stacked bill that flew by. With only about fifteen minutes on stage, this talented rapper and song creator started the night right. His flow blended something a bit more classic and traditional with a slight top-40-leaning vibe. It was a cool blend and showcased this man’s creative talent perfectly. Sure, his time on the small Turf Club stage was short, and people were still warming up to the idea of being at a show after a holiday that surely left them all in a bit of a daze after a lot of family and eating time, but Demon Marcus did his best to capture the quickly growing crowd and gave something worth paying attention to.

Following Demon Marcus was a super quick set from local legend Sean Anonymous. Sean has been in the local rap and hip-hop scene for longer than most, and that really showed through the way his set came off as both professional and fun at the same time. Sean is the kind of musician who has put in the grind, but he has never lost his passion for the art he does so well. Whether he was spitting words faster than you could really process or if he was being a bit of a goofball with his dancing skills and endless amount of energy and fun, Sean Anonymous was a super fun addition to the night that I didn’t know was going to happen until I got there was but so glad to be able to experience.

The following two acts, starting with Yata, were new names to me, but as the night progressed, it made sense. Yata, the DJ who spun some tunes for a little bit after Sean Anonymous’ set, ended up being a collaborator with the two headlining acts, so it only made sense that he got some personal time on stage. Although it was hard for me to really pay attention to Yata on the stage as I had met up with some good friends and we were chatting and drinking the night away, it was easy to get caught by the music he was pumping through the speakers. It was an upbeat mix of rap with a more EDM-inspired beat. It was the kind of music that made you move while still allowing you to carry on with conversations, which made it the perfect little breather for the stacked night of music.

The other act I had never heard of before was Casey, but like Yata, Casey is a significant player and collaborator for the two acts that were closing out the night. Casey’s sound was very produced, with vocals that I can only really call T-Pain-esque. I say that because there was so much auto-tune happening. Although it wasn’t quite for me, and after just a few songs, everything from Casey started to sound and feel the same to me; there’s no denying this guy has talent. I also really loved that he wasn’t letting the roar of chatter from the audience stop him. Some people in the front were all eyes and ears to Casey’s set, but the rest of the packed, sold-out crowd were clearly waiting for the headlining acts to take the stage.

I don’t remember the first time I saw Dwynell Roland perform, but I know that I have been jumping on every chance to catch this man perform live since then. He had me hooked with his infectious energy and unbelievable talent. I’ve seen him open for some major acts, including the one and only Killer Mike. He nailed it that night, and, honestly, what a night to be on point and nail it, but, really, I feel like Dwynell Roland’s set on Saturday night was the best I’ve seen from this kid yet. His infectious energy was on point, and his ridiculously smooth yet almost aggressive flow had me intimidated in just the right way, and I was not the only person feeling that. Watching the sold-out room jump to his music and throw their arms in the air the second Dwynell did it was unreal.

Not only did I feel like his performance was on point on Saturday night, I really appreciated hearing the evolution of the music of Dwynell Roland/ He has always had a bit of a sharp tongue to his raps, but something about his new material feels a bit more angsty, a bit more aggressive, and a bit more perfect. I loved hearing some of these new tracks and the way they blended into some of the older tracks from this performer. The blend showed the evolution of Dwynell Roland so perfectly and also proved to the audience that this guy isn’t going anywhere and is absolutely one to watch. After about forty or forty-five minutes on stage (I honestly wasn’t paying super close attention to the time), Dwynell left to give way for the other co-headliner of the night, but it wouldn’t be long until he was on the stage yet again to end my night and the night of everyone else in the audience so perfectly.

The other co-headliner was the one and only P.O.S. From Doomtree to Gayngs to Marijuana Deathsquads and a million projects in between, P.O.S is a local staple, and it is so good to have him back in the local scene after he took a couple of years off (which is a whole other story but I’m not going down that rabbit hole). Although he stepped away for some years, it was as if P.O.S hadn’t missed a single beat. This was my third time seeing him live after he came back from retirement, and it was truly as if he spent the time really honing in on this talent and making sure that every show he performed was his best, with Saturday being no exception. Like Dwynell Roland’s set, P.O.S hit the stage with unbelievable power and energy while not forgetting about the talent and flow that people had come out to hear. Sure, there were some hiccups during P.O.S’ time on stage when it came to the set list (he even started playing a song for a second time because apparently he and his DJ had changed the set list last minute, and they both got lost) but it added a sense of honest charm to the set and almost humanized this local legend.

Although P.O.S is a staple and definitely a legend here, there was something so understated about his set and the way he interacted with the audience. I mean, come on, this guy was in Doomtree, and Doomtree is huge up here in Minnesota (heck, I even have a freaking Doomtree tattoo on my arm); he knows he’s a big deal… right? He joked with a younger fan in the front of the audience, asking them how old they were and wondering aloud if they even knew who he was. Between that and the way he would just let the audience take over the lyrics at times, mixed with the million and twelve thank yous he gave out throughout his short solo time on stage, you could tell that, although a superstar, he was not blind to the fact that he is nothing without the fans. Okay, I’m rambling. Long story short, the charm radiating from P.O.S throughout his set was a cherry on top.

I’m already way past my normal word count here, and I know we all have stuff to do today, but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the most magical part of the night, and that was when Dwynell Roland and P.O.S came together to play some tracks off of their new EP that they did together, ‘RELAY.’ I wouldn’t say that this is an unlikely duo, but I will say that I didn’t imagine these two guys’ styles flowing together as magically as they do on this new EP (which you should all check out right now!) and being able to see that magic happen on a stage right in front of me was beyond perfect. The way these two men play off of each other is magic and something that can not be learned or practiced. It’s something that just happens. I love that you get a bit of Dwynell Roland’s sharp tongue mixed with P.O.S’ more punk-leaning style. It creates something almost a bit like Bob Vylan or Softplay but with a Twin Cities hip-hop vibe that makes the sound unique and perfect.

I could clearly go on and on about the magic of Saturday night but, as mentioned, I know it’s Sunday and we all have a million things to do (myself included). I hope you could get out and catch some live music on Saturday so you feel as good as I do this morning. I feel energized, ready to take on the world, and ready for more live music.

Line Up:

Demon Marcus

Sean Anonymous

Yata

Casey

Dwynell Roland

P.O.S

Venue: Turf Club

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 37

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 3 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 (But I did see a few get cut off)

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

Demon Marcus – 1

Sean Anonymous – 3

Yata – 0

Casey – 0

Dwynell Roland – 5

P.O.S – 6

Celebrity Sightings – Ann of Mostly MN Music

Overall Score – 9.4 out of 10

Show on Deck —Lo Moon / Mayfly Moon

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