Girl at the Rock Shows

I grew up going to sweaty pop-punk and emo shows. It’s what set me on this path of going to concerts nearly every night. I’ve seen some fantastic shows, but I rarely feel transported back to a time when things were a little simpler, and it was just me, the music, the bands, and a sense of community. It’s a high I’ve been chasing since my teenage years, and I finally got a taste of it again for the first time in years on Wednesday night at The Underground Music Cafe. It was no frills. The room was full of young kids just enjoying the moment and letting off some steam in the form of a sweaty mosh pit that felt a bit more intense than the music should have created. Sure, being one of the oldest people in the room threw me off a little bit and, at times, had me longing for my youth, but those moments were scattered between songs of angst that, teenager or adult, was relatable and quenched a thirst I didn’t know I had.

Local punks Fly Over States were first up, and they instantly had me sold as they opened up their set with a cover of a Refused song. It was loud, it was abrasive, it was perfectly performed but also performed with a sense of unapologetic rage and angst. After this cover, the band moved into a set that felt very Blood Brothers-inspired inspired, with chaotic vocals that stung and burned the ears while also bringing a sense of calm to any troubled soul that finds solace in loud and aggressive music. You could call their sound post-hardcore, screamo, heavy emo– you can call it whatever you want, but when you go see them, you realize that Fly Over States is so much more than just a genre; it’s a therapy, and I can not thank this young band enough for giving me that on Wednesday night.

Kerosene Heights was the first of three touring bands to hit the super small stage at Underground Music Cafe. Their sound leaned more into something like Grad Life or Dollar Signs, which spoke to my soul. Although just as intense when you get into the emotion and angst that filled with each song, their overall tone felt a bit less aggressive and gave space for you to just get lost in the words rather than lost in a pit… or, at least, that’s how it should have been. I watched in awe as the crowd, who had started moving ever so slightly during Fly Over States’ set, continued to grow in movement. In my mind, the music didn’t warrant so much moshing, but I loved the fact that the kids in the audience seemed to be moved so much by the music of Kerosene Heights that they didn’t care. Hailing from Asheville, North Carolina, Wednesday night was Kerosene Heights’ first time performing in Minnesota, but judging how the audience responded to their quick set, it will not be the last.

It was also The Casper Fight Scene’s first time in Minneapolis but, again, they were treated like true royalty. Another touring band from Marquette, Michigan, The Casper Fight Scene, continued to dive into the world of heavy-hitting new-school emo sounds. Their sound was highlighted by soaring and dazzling guitar work that left my head spinning in all of the right ways. The way this band dabbled between something so angsty and raw into something more tender and soft created a sense of dynamics throughout their live set, making their time fly by on stage more than I would have liked. There was a point towards the end of their set where the microphone left the stage and wandered into the hands of some of the fans in the front of the pit. Okay, that’s the wrong way to explain it. The microphone was ripped from the stage so some of the fans could sing along. There was something about this moment that really struck me. Although I was more than excited to be at this show, this was far from a “big” show. It was intimate with a five-band line-up of acts that you only really know if you’re “in the know,” but here were these kids acting like this was the moment they had been waiting for their whole lives. It created an environment that continued through the rest of the night.

The last of the touring acts was Wisconsin-based Tiny Voices. Although they are from just a couple of hours away, this was also their first time performing in Minnesota, and, like the other two touring acts, they weren’t going to let their time on stage pass them by. I loved how their sound kept with the emo-leaning theme of the night while bringing something new to the speakers and stage. The problem is I can’t quite figure out how to put into words what that “new” is. To the untrained ear, I totally understand how all three of these touring bands could have sounded the same, but as someone who has been immersed in this scene for years, I loved the different flavors I was getting. Tiny Voices’ flavor seemed to be a bit more chill and laidback than that of the other acts who performed, but again, that didn’t stop the audience from pushing and shoving their way through this set as if we were watching one of the heaviest bands of all time. I hope that Tiny Voices caught onto the energy that was happening throughout the room during their set, and they take that as a sign that they should come back to town sooner rather than later.

Closing out the marathon of a Wednesday night show was local legend- Anita Velveeta. Anita Velveeta was one of the first bands I saw this year. I’ve been dying for another chance to witness their magic since then. That first time I saw them was at an absolutely packed Fine Line, which is quite a bit bigger than the space I was in on Wednesday night, but that didn’t stop this group from giving me the same kind of energy I had felt that fateful night in January. Their sound leaned more intense, much like Fly Over States’s, but they had a bit more chaotic sound and energy about them. Think 100 Gecs (I’m sure the band will hate this comparison, but give me a break; I’m old) only with heart and passion coming through. Some of their songs may not make sense and, even to me, just felt like pure chaos at times, but that’s the magic of this group. Anita Velveeta may have closed out the show, but by the time their set was done and the audience was being ushered outside into the real world, I felt like my night was just getting started. Their energy was infectious and made it difficult to just go home and go to bed when it was all said and done.

I loved all of the music on Wednesday night. Honestly, it was the type of music that I live for, but that wasn’t my biggest takeaway from the night. My biggest takeaway was that, although decades have passed since I attended shows like this nightly, the scene still exists and is stronger than ever. Just because a show isn’t at a giant arena or even a legendary venue doesn’t mean it can’t mean everything to you. If you like a band- support them. If a song that you are watching means the world to you- let it be known. If a band saved your life- let them know. There’s no room for being nervous, being shy, or being “too cool” at a show like this one, and that was just what I needed to feel on Wednesday night.

Line Up:

Fly Over States

Kerosene Heights

The Casper Fight Scene

Tiny Voices

Anita Velveeta

Venue: Underground Music Cafe

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 19

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 11 out of 10

Amount of Beer Spilled On Me While Walking Around- 0

Broken Bones- None Noticed

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)-

Fly Over States – 0

Kerosene Heights – 0

The Casper Fight Scene – 0

Tiny Voices – 0

Anita Velveeta – 1

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score – 8.7 out of 10

Show on Deck — Wayside / Consolation Champ/ Brynn Arens / Phantom Fields

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