Girl at the Rock Shows

I knew the second I stepped foot into Amsterdam Bar & Hall on Friday night that I had made the right decision about where to spend my night. Much like the show on Thursday, there was something festive in the air. People were excited and happy to be out after being cooped up inside with family for the past couple of days over the holidays. People were ready to chat, hug, drink, and dance, and the lineup on Friday night was going to facilitate that perfectly.

The One Egg Wonder got the quickly growing crowd warmed up perfectly. I’m not going to lie; DJ acts often leave me wanting more and very bored, but The One Egg Wonder did wonders for me (and I will not apologize for that pun). The way this performer blended a bit of everything from funk to rap to pop and everything in between. It was a fun blend that absolutely got people moving and grooving, but what was truly special about their set (outside of the plush egg sitting on the small table in front of them) was their energy. This performer didn’t care if you were there to see them; they wanted to make sure that you were having a good time listening to the perfectly curated music and, if you weren’t, they would have a good time for you. Charm, energy, and fun dance moves made the set approachable and easy to fall in love with. Long story short, The One Egg Wonder may just be a DJ set, but it was so much more than that and absolutely set the tone for what was to come.

After a ridiculously short changeover, it was time for Hiahli. I’ve been craving another night with this band since I saw them for the first time back in September. Although that was only a few months ago, this group has grown so much in that short time and are truly catapulting into the rank of being one of my favorite local bands. The amount of positivity that radiates from this band will leave you speechless. Those good vibes come from their positive lyrics and the way they perform. There’s just something bubbly and carefree when you watch this band. All members seem to be constantly smiling (or just frowning upside down, depending on how you look at it) and genuinely stuck in their world of blissful music. Sonically, this group has such a cool blend of hip-hop, rock, ska, reggae, and punk– just like the last time I covered them, the list goes on and on, and there’s genuinely no way to classify this group easily outside of just saying that they are a band that you have to see to truly understand.

You may be sick of me covering Space Monkey Mafia, but I am far from sick of seeing this local powerhouse live. For any of you who think ska is dead or dying, please check out this band. Combining everything from a theatrical edge to a harsh Spanish-influenced punk flavor, Space Monkey Mafia does it all, and they do it all with a smile, a sense of charm, and a whimsical sense of fun that is impossible to dislike. Although I have seen this band multiple times, it never gets old, and every time I see them, I feel like they add something new. That new addition on Friday night was a lean into vocalist Dante’s sheer talent. Maybe it was what I was looking for, or maybe it was just my mood, but there was something about Dante’s vocals on Friday that left me stunned. They’ve always been good, but they were just so on point with the way Dante would go from a low growl to an almost operatic-inspired screech (okay, screech is a bad word to use here, but it’s what I got, so deal with it).

Don’t get me wrong, this entire band was on point, and I loved the fact that the band had borrowed the trombone player from Lost Island Society (another local ska band) since their boner (is that the right word to use there?) was still with family celebrating the holidays. Although that was such a small thing about the set on Friday night and something you may not have noticed had it not been for Dante thanking this trombonist for stepping in, I feel like it just added to the night’s unique “family” vibe. I could probably find you about eighty-four other instances during Space Monkey Mafia’s set that really made me feel warm and cozy on the inside, but I’ll spare you because, at the end of the day, if you weren’t there, my words won’t make you feel it but, long story short, it was a flawless set enhanced by the charm that Space Monkey Mafia has and always will have.

Much like I had been waiting for another chance to see Hiahli live, I had been praying to the concert Gods that I would have another opportunity to see Socktopus live. They answered that prayer with the show on Friday. The concert was actually a celebration of the release of this local band’s new album ‘Midnight Snack’ (which I highly suggest you check out). The room was filled with a palpable sense of celebration as Socktopus played their set. People were excited to celebrate the accomplishment of this new album but also just excited to have yet another set where nobody was too cool to dance. Nobody was bored, nobody was frowning, nobody was being a wallflower, Socktopus had the kind of set where everyone who was in the venue was excited to be there and wasn’t going to miss a single moment of the positive energy that was radiating from the stage.

Much like the previous acts of this night, this is one of those groups that is so hard to classify into just one genre. It’s hip-hop-induced ska music with a flare of punk and a sparkle of pop sensibility. It’s music that makes you want to dance and move, which is only exacerbated by seeing how much fun the members of this band are having on stage. It’s clear that Socktopus had rehearsed for this show as their sound was flawless, but it was also clear that this band doesn’t take themselves too seriously. From their signature move of hosting a random 90s-themed dance party in the middle of the set to the way they had inflatable snack foods floating around the audience, there was just so much fun to be had. Much like bands like Reel Big Fish and The Aquabats, Socktopus gives you quality music but also ensures you have something to smile and get excited about.

Before I let you go, I must shout out to 100Bees. 100Bees provided visuals throughout the night, and it really added that finishing touch to the show. It made the entire night feel cohesive in a way that other shows just don’t have and added a splash of color to an already rainbow-feeling kind of night. I wish I had better words to describe that because I’m aware that it makes no sense unless you were there, but I would be remiss not to give a huge shout-out here.

A few shows were going on in the Twin Cities on Friday night. I’m sure they were all amazing, but, truly, if you weren’t at Amsterdam Bar & Hall for this celebration, you missed out.

Line Up:

The One Egg Wonder

Hiahli

Space Monkey Mafia

Socktopus

Venue: Amsterdam Bar & Hall

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 28

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 4 out of 10

Broken Bones- None Spotted

Spotted Flying Through The Air- Lots of inflatable snacks

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 One Egg Wonder – 0

Hiahli – 1

Space Monkey Mafia – 8

Socktopus – 2

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score – 9.7 out of 10

Show on Deck —DeVotchKa / Superior Siren

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