Girl at the Rock Shows

Thursday night was another one of those times when leaving the house was hard. The sub-zero temperatures mixed were painful at best. It was the kind of cold where, as soon as I walked outside, my nose rings all froze together leading to uncomfortable walks between cars and buildings. I just wanted to stay home in the coziness of my living room, but that wasn’t an option since there was a fantastic show happening, and I was not going to let the cold keep me from it. Thankfully for me, the artists performing on Thursday night felt the same way, so they brought a living room feel to The Mission Room at The Hook & Ladder in Minneapolis. Although I still had to do the frigid walk from car to door, the pain of the cold didn’t sting as bad as I walked into one of the coziest spots in town to check out some gosh darn amazing music.

I’ve been seeing The Nunnery a lot lately, and that’s absolutely on purpose. Watching this Eau Claire-based act is like living in a dream, a feeling that never gets old. Although I’ll never get the shock and awe that I got the first time I saw them perform, every time I see them, I get the same kind of sparkling butterflies in my gut. Stylistically, The Nunnery is so far out of left field when compared to my normal listening habits. The sound is super soft at times, edging into the world of ambient noise. Even when the sound is a bit fuller and louder, the overall tone is still organically soft and calm. Again, that’s definitely not my thing, but it’s the way that you get to see The Nunnery literally create the songs in front of you that always commands my attention. Using looping pedals, The Nunnery is a one-human act, but within just seconds of laying down loops on loops, you get a full band sound.

I’ve seen The Nunnery perform twice now, and their set is always absolutely flawless. There was one moment on Thursday night when one of their loops wasn’t quite correct, so they stopped and restarted. I’m not saying this to embarrass them or anything like that- it was more of just one of those moments that shined a light on just how hard what they are doing is. If one thing is off, one note slightly askew, the sound doesn’t sound right. That’s an odd thing to grasp with how organic everything about The Nunnery’s music is, but again, I loved that it gave me a moment to really appreciate the talent I was watching on the stage in front of me. The Nunnery is giving perfection to every song, every layer, every beat, and I loved that this little moment in a jaw-droppingly beautiful set showed just how much The Nunnery cares about giving you perfection while also showing that, at the end of the day, we are all human and just following our passion. It’s okay to mess up as long as you get back up and don’t give up. Truly, The Nunnery is an act that you have to see live. Even if you are the most extreme of metalheads– seeing and experiencing The Nunnery is something that will change your life. I know that sounds dramatic, but it’s the truth.

After a quick little break, it was time for the only other band on the bill- The Orange Goodness. This is one of the many acts that has been on my list for some time, and although they are always playing out around town, Thursday night was the first chance I’ve had to cross them off my list. What a shame that it took me so long to see them because, within the first few minutes of their opening song, I was absolutely hooked. I quickly hated the restrained feeling I got from sitting in a chair because this group’s music made me want to jump up and dance.

There was a little bit of everything in The Orange Goodness set. It was alt-rock, it was funk, it had jazz undertones, and even a disco-inspired song at one point. There were hip-hop-styled beats contrasted by slightly musical theater-inspired vocals. All the while, there was a classic guitar thing happening and a truly epic bassline to lead it all. Truly, it was all over the place, yet, somehow, it all worked together so perfectly and came together to create a truly stunning showing of pure musicianship and passion. Although I loved the music I heard, watching the four musicians on stage made the night what it was. Bassist Ian Allison never stopped smiling other than the few moments that he was giving a great “bass face” (which is close to a stank face) when hitting certain notes. Guitarist and vocalist Mike Michel seemed to, like me, have a hard time staying in his chair, at times rocking in and out of a seated position. Drummer Reese Kling constantly remained in the pocket and then some with his steady but intricate fills. Vocalist Deborah McKee left me absolutely breathless with their sultry yet powerful voice that seemed to add that extraordinary chutzpah that really made the sound jump out at me.

Out of everything that happened on Thursday night, my absolutely favorite moment was when The Nunnery joined The Orange Goodness for an improv track. Although it started off with looks of confusion on the faces of the musicians, it quickly turned into a stunning set that blended the worlds of these two groups perfectly. It also continued to showcase the sheer amount of talent that the audience was being treated to on Thursday night. Although there very well could be (and absolutely should be) many more collaborations between these two groups, Thursday night was the only time that we would hear that particular song live and thinking about that made my heart soar more than it already was.

Sure, I could have stayed at home all cozy in my living room, but where’s the fun in that? Also, when a venue is as cozy and comfortable as The Hook & Ladder, do you really need to stay home? Seriously, I get it, people; it’s cold and quite miserable, but don’t let that stop you from experiencing all of the amazing live music that the Twin Cities has to offer you. These spaces are just as warm and safe as your own house, so get out there and explore them.

Line Up:

The Nunnery

The Orange Goodness

Venue: The Hook & Ladder

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 48

Crowd Surfers- None

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 0 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 Nunnery – 2

The Orange Goodness – 0

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score – 9 out of 10

Show on Deck —Harbor & Home / Josh Cleveland Band

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