Lie To Me Until It’s True

I was jonesing for a show all day on Thursday. I don’t know what it was. Maybe it was because I was snowed in on Wednesday or because the work week has been hectic, to say the least. Perhaps it was because, although I’ve had shows lately, none of them have really given me that feeling that I’ve been craving, or maybe I’m just that addicted. Regardless, I was ready for a show and had high expectations even though I had never seen these three bands perform before.

Things were buzzing at Zhora Darling when I showed up on Thursday night. You could feel the excitement of a sold-out show in the air as people lingered by the bar and at tables, trying to take in this venue’s amazing food and drink before going to the back of the building where the venue is. Although I didn’t linger and, instead, b-lined it for the venue so I could get my camera ready and snag a good spot, walking through this atmosphere definitely set the stage for what was to come. I made it inside just in time to say some hellos to friends and get that prime spot right in front of the intimate-for-a-show-this-big stage just in time for Align to kick off their set.

Local post-hardcore rockers Align have been around for decades. They started in 1996 and played through 2004 before taking a break. This was before I was living up here in the Twin Cities, so Align was brand new to me when they stepped on stage on Thursday night, but they instantly became a new favorite, and I am so glad they are back. Their set was emotionally and sonically intense in all of the right ways. You could see this band feel the songs that they were playing, which, in turn, made you feel every single word and note down to your soul. Although they are definitely a post-hardcore act, this band dabbled into everything from pop-punk to alt-rock. There were moments where the bass gave me straight-up Alien Ant Farm vibes and others where the vocals felt a bit early-2000s screamo. I totally understand how those two comparisons could be taken wrong, but, for me, Align’s sound was music to my soul. It was taking me down memory lane while getting me excited for the future because, in the future, I will be seeing more of this band (at least, I hope so).

I was ready to call it a show after Align. They had quenched my thirst, satisfied my craving, and given me all I could ask for from a random show that I just happened into, but Zhora Darling had more in store with me, and what happened next with Facet seemed to kick the bottom of my jaw out from the place it had found on the floor after Align’s set. Facet is a noise-rock trio from Oakland, California. The trio took the stage and blasted through a quick set of perfectly curated insanity. Watching this band is like watching gold form right in front of your eyes. Okay, that’s a weird comparison but it was truly like watching genius at work. The three members of this group were constantly lost in their own worlds yet somehow came together to create a sound that felt somehow both disorganized and organized all at the same time. That’s noise, I suppose, but although I am calling them a noise rock band, and that’s what they call themselves, I feel like it’s more accessible than that description would lead you to believe. Sure, there were moments where I couldn’t quite figure out where the beat was or where a particular string of notes was going to take me, but there was something accessible about it with the tones the band was using and the way these tangents would always come back to form a full thought before the song ended. Although this was mostly a “down to business” kind of set where the band didn’t spend much time chatting and spent the majority of their time on stage just blasting the sold-out audience with their songs, I loved the small snippets of banter that showed that Facets, although a band that takes their sound seriously, still have a sense of personality. From mentioning how cold it was outside just to have the audience respond that it really wasn’t that cold out (which the band was quick to say that they knew we would say that) to proclaiming about halfway through that they are still Facets from Oakland, this band had me confused, smiling, delighted, and excited all at the same time.

I had clearly already gotten much more than I had bargained for regarding this show. I was completely enamored by Align and entirely in love with Facets, and the night wasn’t done yet. We still had the headlining act WHORES. to go. Formed in 2010, WHORES., like their name, is a bit abrasive. Their sound took the best of both Align and Facet while bringing a bit more fuzz and sludge to the night. I don’t quite know the correct way to classify this band, but that’s kind of the point of it all. It was sludgy noise rock. Music that can make your teeth rattle while also making your heart skip a beat. It catches your attention and never lets go until the band is good and done, warping your mind and making you feel every beat soak deep into your bones. Another trio, I was utterly floored by the tone of this band. Sure, having three people on stage makes it a bit easier to stay clean when compared to a massive nine-piece band, but there was something more about their sound. It was more than just clean; it was flawless.

It wasn’t until WHORES. was playing where I really felt the sold-out audience. Although people, for the most part, were just standing there, clearly captivated by this band, a small group next to me was ready to push and shove their way through the set. Part of me loved the fact that I was able to have a “peaceful” night without any flying limbs headed my way, but the other part of me really wished the pit would have broken and just added that special sauce to an already stellar night. It may have happened. After the first couple of tracks, I decided to head to the back of the venue to allow true fans to take my spot because, at the end of the day, I was here on a whim. I’m not sure what happened up front after I left, but I do know that every single human that was in attendance left this show happy and ready for another visit from WHORES. sooner rather than later. Luckily for us, they claim to love Minneapolis, so here’s to hoping I get another chance to experience their magic live in the near future.