Girl at the Rock Shows

Saturday was wild. I knew it would be. There was information overload, and it was so easy to get lost and sucked into it all. From the tragedy that struck right here in Minneapolis to the protests happening around the country, I found myself lost in endless live streams of the chaos, and it was hard to pull myself away from all of it, but I knew that I needed a break. That break came in the form of, you guessed it, a killer concert. Sure, the world is burning, but on Saturday night at a sold-out Fine Line in downtown Minneapolis, all that mattered was the sounds and vibrations taking over my body and my soul.

Opening pop-rapper Sophie Hunter took the stage and instantly laid out what she was all about. I didn’t catch all the words to all her quick-moving songs on Saturday night, but I did catch some of the first words, which were essentially, “Fuck Live Nation.” Yeah, she had me hooked. Sophie was unapologetic and brash, doing everything with an undeniable sense of heart and fire. I’ll be the first to admit that, after a couple of songs, her vocals and the overall beat started to feel a bit redundant, but that was more a result of my anticipation for the headlining act. Even though there were times when Sophie’s actual music lost me slightly, she captivated my eyes and heart with her passionate performance with ease.

Why was I so anxious for the headliner? Because I knew what was about to happen. I have seen Sleigh Bells multiple times now and have always left their shows feeling completely exhausted yet fully satisfied by what they leave me with; Saturday night was no exception. Before I tell you about their performance, let’s talk about who Sleigh Bells are and what they do.

Sleigh Bells is a duo from Brooklyn, NY, consisting of vocalist Alexis Krauss and guitarist/ producer Derek Miller. Although I’m not familiar with Alexis’ background in theater, television, and her work in teen pop group RubyBlues, I am super familiar with Derek’s work as a guitarist in the post-hardcore band Poison The Well. Derek left the band in 2004, but he contributed to some of my favorite songs from that time before he left. The story of how these two amazing and talented humans met is insane. It includes Derek working at a restaurant and Alexis happening upon said restaurant for dinner, but that story has no effect on the magic that comes from this band. That magic comes from the sheer creativity and innovation that these two people have brought to a sound that can only be described as “Sleigh Bells.”

I honestly don’t even know how to describe Sleigh Bells’ sound. It’s part pop music, with siren-like vocals that will send chills down your spine, but the other part of this band is an intense, metal-inspired electronic sound that gives every song a unique and catchy noise-leaning punk feel, making each one feel a bit more intense than the last. Even with that being said, one of the many things this duo does exceptionally well is showcasing different sides of their unique sound. Sure, every song is full of energy and power, but some songs lean into a more pop-ballad style, whereas others lean into an almost EDM-type energy that consistently gets the crowds going. The sold-out audience at The Fine Line got all of those sides and more on Saturday night.

Sleigh Bells came in the form of a full band on Saturday, which just added to their already insanely powerful sound. With the flashing lights and vibrations added into the mix, Sleigh Bells’ performance was one of those fully immersive shows, which, as mentioned, was just what I needed to pull myself away from watching the world burn. Although I felt like their set was super short, they pulled out all of the stops. They played songs from all six of their albums but definitely seemed to focus on their debut 2010 album ‘Treats.’ Okay, maybe that’s not completely accurate, but those were the songs I wanted to hear, as that will forever be my favorite album from this duo, so I was low-key looking for those songs. I got to hear them all, from “A/B Machines” to “Crown on the Ground,” which closed out the two-song encore.

Saturday night was the first show in a long time where I felt myself loosen up ever so slightly. I was moving around to the heavy beats more than I typically do at shows. Although part of that was me needing to just let off some steam after being consumed by the drama unfolding in this country, the other part was surely just the sheer amount of power and entertainment that Sleigh Bells brings to the stage.

Line Up:

Sophie Hunter

Sleigh Bells

Venue: Fine Line

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 27

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 7 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 – 0

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

Sophie Hunter – 0

Sleigh Bells – 4

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score – 9.3 out of 10

Show on Deck — Samantha Crain / Quinn Christopherson // JET / Band of Skulls

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