Girl at the Rock Shows

How many bands is too many to see in one day? Thirty-four? I agree but Saturday’s festival at Palmer’s on the West Bank in Minneapolis was for such a great cause that I didn’t care how exhausted I was, how many photos I would have to go through, or how many bands I would have to remember by the end of it. Saturday was day one of Front Row Paul fest- a local festival celebrating the life of an amazing guy who truly lived and breathed local music. I my interactions with Paul Engebretson were few and far between and that’s a shame. Honestly, he intimidated me. Okay, that’s not the right way to say it, as I always knew he was one of the sweetest humans alive, purely due to the joy he felt when watching local bands from the front row, but, really, this guy was a legend, and I am but a mere shadow when compared to him. It wasn’t jealousy or anything like that; it was just that Paul was the best, and I always feared I would say the wrong thing to him in some weird way. Long story short, Paul left us after a short yet epic battle against pancreatic cancer. I may not have known Paul well, but my heart broke when I heard the news, and many tears were shed, knowing that the front row at so many local shows would now stand empty, a void where a giant and angel among men used to stand. Front Row Paul is local music and, to celebrate his amazing life, the wonderful Christy Costello booked an insanely stacked festival. I wasn’t about to miss a single band because, truthfully, Paul wouldn’t have so let’s jump right into Saturday’s edition of this festival.

Before I begin, let me just say that all of these bands deserve more words and more photos. Long story short, it was thirty-four sets in one day, and I can only do so much. On top of that, I have to return to day two and cover another twenty-plus bands, so I’ll keep this brief, but please know that every single one of the acts I’m about to introduce is more than worth your attention.

The day started with Stephanie Was & The Secret Izz. This set was chill but full of life making it the perfect way to kick the day off. Stylistically, Stephanie Was & The Secret Izz was giving me Moldy Peaches / Kimya Dawson vibes, and I was absolutely here for it.

Katy Tessman always brings such a sense of sunshine to her performances and, although it was already sunny and the temperature was quickly rising, Katy seemed to just add to it with her positive and gorgeous singer-songwriter set.

Things got old school in all of the right ways for Dieselfitters. This trio had an old-school vibe to me that leaned into something a bit bluegrassy at times, and something a bit more surf rock at others. Dieselfitters doesn’t have any social media accounts from what I can tell but I’m hoping to catch them again soon because I thoroughly enjoyed their quick set on Saturday.

We got a slight break from the heat and sun (which was still nothing compared to Las Vegas last weekend so I was fine) when things moved inside for a quick set from The Best Meds. It was a no frills kind of rock n’ roll set that filled the intimate space that is Palmer’s Bar with ease while not becoming too much as to blow you out of the room with power.

I’ve only caught Velahsa once but I was blown away by the energy they brought and was excited to see if they were going to bring it again with the sun beating down on them. The short answer- they did and then some. What a fun track from this band that is quickly becoming one of my favorites of the scene.

I only knew Matt Caflisch’s name from the radio show that I help out on from time and time and I was excited to see this voice live. He and his band did not let me down giving me all of the Bob Dylan vibes but with an extra spark of heart and love.

Sidewalk Diamonds is another band that I only knew from the radio show but I was so delighted to get to see them live. Although their set felt very calm, there was an energy that radiated from all five of the members on stage that had me hooked.

Institutional Green was a highlight of the day for me not only because of their clear talent, but because they played their song, “On These Two Pauls” which was written about Paul Engebretson and local photographer Paul Lungren (who sadly also passed away just a couple of weeks ago). It was a heartbreaking but beautiful moment of the day and I loved the heart that Institutional Green played this song with.

Doug Collins and the Receptionists was part honky-tonk, part rowdy rock show and I absolutely loved it. There was so much charisma on stage and so many smiles to match the fun energy of the music, which breathed a sense of life into me in such a perfect way.

We went super old-school for the next act- Chickaboom & Troglodyte. Although I didn’t recognize any of the songs this group played, my friend did and quickly explained to me that I was just too young to understand. Although I may not have caught onto some of the songs they played, I did adore the carefree energy that Chickaboom & Troglodyte had floating in the air.

Danger Pins had a super cool and subtle darkness behind their set that had me hooked. Don’t get me wrong, it was yet another fun set from an amazing band but there was just this air of mystery and darkness surrounding their set that I adored.

Dan Israel is a local legend who plays more than any one guy probably should. That being said, it’s been years since I’ve seen him perform, so I was thrilled to see his smiling face on Saturday. From what I remember, the last time I saw Dan was solo but Saturday he came with a band that added that extra razzle-dazzle to his set to really make it a highlight of the day.

Out of all of my time spent in the local scene, I have never seen The Falmin’ Ohs. Weird, I know but I changed that on Saturday and I quickly became obsessed with these local legends. Saturday may have been my first time seeing them but it surely won’t be my last!

I feel like there for a hot minute, I was seeing Faith Boblett almost every week. I took that for granted like an idiot and now it’s been a couple of months since I’ve seen this amazing songstress live. She was up to her usual trick of charming the audience with her bubbly personality and wowing them with her stunning vocals (and amazing backing band of course).

I’ve honestly never been much of a Led Zeppelin fan but seeing Zeppo, a local Led Zeppelin cover band, on Saturday had me questioning why that was. The musicianship of this band was truly stunning.

Things shifted back inside for a quick set from Jim Walsh. I felt like the audience was a bit too excited for the low-key set from Jim but that didn’t stop his talent from being lost on anyone. Sure, the conversations in the bar were loud but I feel like Jim’s talent was louder.

I know I just saw The Customers a couple of weeks ago but that didn’t stop me from getting excited to see them again. Although sets were super short throughout the day, I feel like these guys did a great job of laying out their rock n’ roll sound for any newcomers in the audience.

Following The Customers was a quick set from Bleek & Grimm. Although it was a super soft and acoustic set, there was so much fun that came off the stage as these two men played. It was clear that friendship trumps everything when it comes to these two, and it added a sense of charm that was irresistible.

The Heavy Sixers is another legendary local band that I had never seen prior to Saturday but was so excited to cross them off of my bucket list. They had a definite 90s vibe to them that I instantly got lost in.

I feel like I keep repeating myself when I say that a band is legendary, but it continues to be true, especially with High On Stress. I see the grind that this band is putting in and feel like it’s absolutely worth it because the product they delivered on Saturday was flawless.

I’ve never been a huge fan of The Pixies, but like the way Zeppo had me rethinking my thoughts on Led Zeppelin, Trompe Le Monde had me rethinking my thoughts on The Pixies. Their set was the perfect balance of cover and original spin when it came to what they did with the iconic songs they performed.

Parishes is a local band that doesn’t play often, and that’s a shame because they blew me away on Saturday. With Sally Linda of Big Salt at the helm, the power that came with this band was extraordinary.

The power that Mary Strand & The Garage brought to the outdoor stage at Palmer’s was gorgeous. It was stunning and beautiful but, with the band behind her, I seemed to be taken back by the sheer strength that Mary’s set showcased.

I just saw Cindy Lawson on Friday night, but as I often say about her, I could go see Cindy every night of my life and not get bored. She and her band were charming and full of piss and vinegar (in all of the right ways) like always giving me a flawless set.

There is some debate as to whether Whiskey Rock and Roll Club was one of the first local shows I ever covered as Girl at the Rock Shows. Drummer Mark Devaraj seems to think they are, but I’m honestly not sure. Either way, this local trio has become more than just a local band to me, they have become my friends and I loved every second that they spent on the stage.

Although the “normal” vocalist of The Mood Swings wasn’t able to make it to the show on Saturday, it didn’t keep the band from playing. I, unfortunately, didn’t get the name of the stand-in vocalist but The Mood Swings were sounding on point even with the last minute change-up.

The Melismatics is another famed local band that, until Saturday, I had never seen live. Fronted by Ryan Smith of Soul Asylum fame, I definitely felt that this was one of my favorite acts of the day. There was just something so 90s and so polished about their set but it still had the grit and down-to-earth attitude that came with all of the other acts that performed.

The Shackletons were definitely one of Paul’s favorite local bands so it was only fitting that this trio close out the outdoor portion of the night. Although The Shackletons are always on point, they seemed to be just a bit more on fire on Saturday night and for all of the right reasons.

Things moved inside for Manias. Their rock n’ roll sound was the perfect soundtrack for everyone trying to get cozy inside.

The Silverteens continued the part inside. Honestly, by this point of the night, I was absolutely exhausted and needing to go to bed but this band breathed life into to me to give me my 192nd wind of the day.

Rebecca Lake Fritz’s quick set was quiet and calm which was a nice change of pace from the night. There was something beautifully organic about her sound that I hadn’t felt previously in the day.

Bev continued with the more chill ambiance that Rebecca Lake Fritz had laid out but expanded on it by bringing a few powerful vibe to the room.

Angry at Numbers is a band that I caught once and instantly fell in love with so it was a treat to catch them again on Saturday. I love this group’s slightly harder rock sound and how, although different from everything else during the day, it fit so nicely.

Closing out the night was Pullstring – a dad rock band made up of young kids. They were the perfect way to end the night.

Honestly, I wish I had an epic closer for you here but, truthfully, I have to get out the door for day two! Come out and say hi!