Girl at the Rock Shows

There were a bunch of things to be thankful for on Friday night. First up was the fact that it was Friday and, after the week I had had, I was ready for it. Secondly, I could finally spend some time with some friends after being secluded outside of a few shows here and there for the past couple of days due to whatever bug I had. Lastly, and most importantly, there was a fantastic showcase of some of the best local bands out there right now happening at the 7th Street Entry. Sure, it was cold out, but nothing compared to what’s coming to us in the upcoming days, so I was more than happy to leave the house and go check out some amazing local music.

I was introduced to the opening act, Larry Wish, in January of 2023. I remember the emcee of that night saying something to the extent of, “After seeing Larry Wish live, your life becomes life before Larry Wish and then after Larry Wish,” and that couldn’t be more true. I was excited as this quirky local set up and was a bit surprised to see a full band and lack of a powdered wig as my first experience with Larry Wish was just that, but I quickly realized that the band was an enhancement and that the famed powdered wig was nothing more than a one-time gimmick. Full disclosure: the music of Larry Wish isn’t for everyone, and there were times throughout his set on Friday night when I wondered if it was for me. It’s very avant-garde pop meets high-school drama theatrics and a low-budget keyboard sound. Okay, that all sounds terrible, I know, but I really wholeheartedly love what Larry Wish is doing. Larry Wish doesn’t give a crap what you think. He and his band are going to do their thing so flawlessly and unapologetically, with their set on Friday night being no different. It was fun, it was wild, it was eccentric, unconventional, unorthodox, peculiar, outlandish– it was perfect. 

Next was supposed to be Joe Bartel, but due to illness, Joe had to drop off. Although bummed as I adore Joe Bartel, I was stoked that they were being replaced by local anni xo. This name has been floating around town a lot, and I just haven’t been able to catch a performance from them yet. Although they came in the form of a trio on Friday night rather than their typical five-piece, I got what the hype is all about when it comes to this act. My favorite thing about anni xo is that they had such a complexity behind their lyrics yet, sonically, their sound is very chill and easy to listen to. Joined on stage by Maddie Thies on bass (I’m pretty sure this amazing human plays bass in every local band at this point, and I will never get sick of seeing them perform) and Aurelio Sandoval on drums, there is no understating the perfection of the band behind anni xo, but it was the vocals that really had me struck. They have this almost 90s vibe to them but also something a bit folksy. They come off as strong but not overpowering, and, as mentioned, they have a complexity in the storytelling that is so easy to get lost in. I know I’m a bit late to the anni xo party but I’m here and I don’t think I’ll ever leave.

I like to think I know a lot about the local scene, but every once in a while, I see a name that I have never seen before, and that is the case with the next act that graced the 7th Street Entry stage on Friday night – AirLands. I was instantly in love but also instantly caught onto the fact that the sound of AirLands was so far out of my usual cup of tea. It was a little Dave Matthews Band meets The Fray but with a bit more of a Bon Iver creativity behind it. It was charming, sweet, and sensitive, but vocalist Kevin Calaba performed with such a sense of fire that radiated from his soul. Whether or not their approachable sound is for you, this is a band that has clearly put time into creating and curating a perfect set. AirLands has an insane amount of material out there but played a lot off of their 2024 album ‘Strange Beast.’ I can’t wait to spend some time digging a bit deeper into this album and all of the other releases they have, and I am super excited to catch them again soon.

Closing out the absolutely amazing and perfect Friday night showcase was Twin Citizen. This group has been one of my favorite locals for quite a while at this point, but I feel like my schedule never lines up with their shows, so this was my first time seeing them in years. Nothing has changed with this band other than the fact that they have really honed in on their sound. It’s indie rock meets alt-rock with a slight jam band feel at times and blistering guitar riffs at others. Really, it’s all over the place, but the one thing that stays constant about this group is the fact that they feel and sound like a musician’s band. What I mean by that is that there is so much attention to detail in this band. They know what they’re doing and do it so well that, even if you don’t understand the theory behind music or anything like that, you know that what they are doing is well-thought-out and quite complicated, yet their talent means that it comes off as simple.

All four acts that played on Friday night brought a different flavor to the stage. You got quirky from Larry Wish; sweet and innocent from anni xo; mature and chill from AirLands and then accessible yet exciting from Twin Citizen. All of these flavors swirled together to create a heck of a night and a perfect showcase of how much talent is in the Twin Cities music scene. I know a lot was going on on Friday night, and I could have easily bailed on this show to check out the super-packed ISOxo show happening upstairs at the First Avenue mainroom but, the truth is, you can’t put a price tag on a show like what happened at the 7th Street Entry on Friday night. Sure, it wasn’t packed, and there was no mosh pit and no drunkards to speak of, but it was just one of those nights where I couldn’t help but look around and just be so grateful that this is the scene that I call home.

Line Up:

Larry Wish

anni xo

AirLands

Twin Citizen

Venue: 7th Street Entry

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 36

Crowd Surfers- 0

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)-

Larry Wish – 1

anni xo – 0

AirLands – 0

Twin Citizen – 1

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score – 8.2 out of 10

Show on Deck —VVOLF MASK / Caustic Abyss / Cobra Czar / Nekrotisk / Den of Thieves

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