Girl at the Rock Shows

I know that having just two nights off is nothing. There are people who go months, if not years, without live music, but I’m not one of those people. As I mentioned in a previous post yesterday, I have been feeling a bit burned out and exhausted. Although it was nice to have the time off, by the time Wednesday night rolled around, I was ready to get out of the house and get to a show. I didn’t care what show it was, but I wanted to be at a venue that felt comfortable to break my little dry spell, and there’s no better place for that than The Hook and Ladder in Minneapolis. Although I say I didn’t care what show I was at, I had had my eyes on this particular show for a couple of weeks so I loaded up my camera and hit the road for a night that would hopefully relight that spark in my soul.

Opening up the night and instantly transporting me to a different era was The Lonely Ones. This trio had such a large sound and one that felt more retro than modern but in a good way. Sure, there were a few moments throughout their opening set where I caught modern influences that spanned from Queens of the Stone Age to something a bit more southern rockin’, but for the majority of the set, I had Led Zeppelin floating through my head. It wasn’t just in the music; it was also in their stage presence. The Lonely Ones’ set was a no-frills set. The three members of this band took the stage, played their songs, and left, yet there was something spectacular about the performance. All of the members of this band are clearly masters of their craft. From glittery guitar solos to slamming drums and straight-up impressive vocal lines, the music of The Lonely Ones may not have been right up my alley, but the passion I felt from them surely was.

Bear with me while I try to put what happened next into more words than just saying, “Holy crap– you need to see The Rumours live!” I don’t know where to begin with this trio from Waterloo, Iowa. The first thing that caught me was their energy. Before they even said a word or played a note, there was something about the aura of this band that perked me up and had me intrigued. That intrigue turned to pure love as the band leaped into their slightly abrasive yet perfectly crafted punk set, which made me feel more than just the spark I had been craving in my soul; it ignited a fire. Sonically, The Rumours reminded me of The Distillers, but with a slightly more vintage hue. The vocals were fierce and cut through the sold-out crowd like a knife. The energy wasn’t just something to be felt; it was something that could easily be seen as the two frontwomen kicked and hair-whipped their way through the set. It was a sight to be seen, a sound to be heard, and it was absolutely perfect, leading to a set that may very well make it into my top sets of the year.

Unfortunately, there was a shadow cast over The Rumours’ set due to one idiot heckler who had clearly had enough to drink. After a brief discussion about the challenges faced by women in general and, more specifically, women in music, The Rumours played a song about their struggles to make it without mainstream support. It was a poignant song and one that definitely resonated with me not only as a woman in the industry but also as a woman, period. I loved the statement and the song so much, but clearly, some in the audience didn’t take it seriously. I didn’t catch exactly what was said, but there was one douchebag (sorry, there’s no better word to put there) who started to heckle the band by saying very inappropriate things. The band heard him and offered for this dipshit (again, I can’t think of any better-describing words to use here) to take the stage. Although I didn’t see him come to the stage for what would definitely be the ass-beating of the century, I hear that he tried but struggled to get up on the stage (it’s only about a foot off the ground) due to being intoxicated. Staff was quick to yank this guy out of the audience and send him on his merry way, but not before he gave the audience a little insight into precisely what The Rumours had been talking about. As much as I hated seeing this ugly moment during such a beautiful show, I do hope it opened the eyes of the primarily male audience in attendance and that they treat female musicians and females in general with a bit more respect.

Truthfully, the explosion that was The Rumours was the best moment of the night for me. Don’t get me wrong, all of the bands that performed were great, but there was no topping what The Rumours had just done, but The Supersuckers were surely going to try. Hailing from Tucson, Arizona, The Supersuckers are the definition of a hard-working band. I feel like they are constantly on the road and continuously putting music out. Since their conception in 1988, this band has released a dozen studio albums, a few splits, and a smattering of live recordings among a lot of other material. Although bassist/vocalist Edward “Eddie Spaghetti” Daly is the only remaining member of this band, the trio felt cohesive, and there was this gritty shine put onto every one of their songs that felt so dirty yet so perfect in a way. Stylistically, the music of The Supersuckers was definitely a bit calmer than what The Rumours had just given us and a bit more southern-rock feeling than what I typically go for, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying their classic sound and endless amount of passion that flew through the speakers with ease.

Closing out Wednesday night’s show was the one and only Faster Pussycat. This band has been through it and then some. Tragedy has been lurking in the shadows when it comes to this iconic group, but it hasn’t stopped them from performing and getting crowds super excited about their slightly dated yet fun, glam-leaning hard-rock sound. Full disclosure, I knew very little about this band when walking into The Hook & Ladder and, being lost in the excited sold-out crowd had me feeling very much like an imposter but, as soon as this band stepped on stage, I didn’t care if I was an imposter or not, they were giving me energy and swagger that was impossible to ignore. Like the sound of The Supersuckers, the sound of Faster Pussycat wasn’t quite for me. It sounded like a Fourth of July barbeque in the backwoods of Minnesota. Okay, I know that sounds harsh, but it’s what I’ve come up with to accurately describe it. That being said, like The Supersuckers, everything this band did felt flawless and so perfectly rehearsed yet somehow organic and light-hearted at the same time.

I was in need of something to re-spark my passion for live music. I needed something to pull me out of the rut I found myself in earlier this week. To say that this show did that and then some would be an understatement.

Line Up:

The Lonely Ones

The Rumours

The Supersuckers

Faster Pussycat

Venue: The Hook and Ladder

Smell-O-Meter: BO & Sweat

Average Age of the Crowd: 47

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 2 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

Pukers- 0

Passed Out People- 0

Idiots Taken Out By Security – 1

How Many Times I’ve Seen These Bands Before (or at least how many times I can remember)-

The Lonely Ones – 0

The Rumours – 1

The Supersuckers – 0

Faster Pussycat – 0

Celebrity Sightings – Mark of Whiskey Rock N Roll Club MPLS; Members of Rebel Queens

Overall Score – 8 out of 10

Show on Deck — Gasoline Lollipops / Calrence Tilton / Becky Kapell

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