Girl at the Rock Shows

I was wired when I left the Palace Theatre after Jack’s Mannequin show on Saturday night to the point where I wasn’t ready to go home. Luckily for me, there was another venue just a block away with a killer local show happening, and who am I to say no to two shows in one night? Sure, I was exhausted, and the unbearable heat that hit me after leaving The Palace Theatre had me wondering if this was really the right choice of how to spend my Saturday night, but when I walked into the sound of Moonlit Mushroom at Amsterdam Bar & Hall, I knew I had made the right call.

Unfortunately, I missed all of Uff-Da just due to the timing of the show at The Palace Theatre, but I did make it in time to catch the tail end of Moonlit Mushroom’s set and loved what I heard. It was a foreign sound to me. It was very EDM-inspired, but it was so much more than just an EDM set. Strong indie-synth vibes were coming through over the heavy and strict beat, giving this duo’s sound an organic yet severe sound. Although just two performers on stage, Moonlit Mushroom somehow gave a show that was nothing short of eye-catching. Perhaps that was due to the colorful lights that filled the room and illuminated the stage, or maybe it was simply their vibrant energy. Either way, it was a heck of a set to walk into and definitely acted as a sign that two shows was the way I was supposed to spend my Saturday night.

Following Moonlit Mushroom was a personal favorite of mine, Twin Citizen. I love this band because they aren’t trying to be anything other than what they are– an intriguing band that transcends genre lines and gets better and more innovative every time I see them, with their set on Saturday being no exception. Although I just saw this band play a couple of songs the other weekend at Front Row Paul Fest, I didn’t get the full Twin Citizen effect because of the literal fifteen-minute set that day. I got the full effect and then some on Saturday night. After some restlessness with the lineup, it seems as if Twin Citizen has come into its final form with a completely new and incredible lineup, and it only emphasizes the talent of this band.
From Adam Lifto’s sparkly guitar solos to Joe Hartley’s unique and perfectly raw vocals, everything about Twin Citizen’s set was on point, and I feel like, for the first time ever with this band, I was able to feel their extreme talent, not just hear it. It could be the addition of Laura Lunde on bass or the subtle undertones that Ryan Taylor on keys brought to the table. It could have been the perfectly timed drum hits from Sam McKinney. Whatever it was, something about Twin Citizen on Saturday just hit, and it hit me hard, leaving me completely in awe of this band that I have always been impressed with.

Closing out the Saturday night show at Amsterdam Bar & Hall in downtown Saint Paul was Valors —a band that I had always heard about but never seen, and what a shame that is. Thankfully, I got to see them on Saturday night, and although the crowd was lighter than light by the time they took the stage, they didn’t hold back, and I feel like I got to experience this band in all of their glory. Valors’ sound is a pretty straightforward rock ‘n’ roll sound, but I loved the way they would bring intricacies in and out throughout their set, leaning into everything from folk to punk. Overall, Valors’ set was very no frill. The three members of the band took the stage, played their songs, and left without much pomp and circumstance, but when you’re a band as solid as they are, why try and change it up? They know what they’re good at, and that is playing just a solid rock set, and that’s exactly what they did on Saturday night.

Saturday night at Amsterdam Bar & Hall is one of those shows where I thought I would have all these things to say, but when push comes to shove, I realize that I just don’t. I had a great time celebrating nostalgia with Jack’s Mannequin down the street at The Palace Theatre, but there was a spark that I felt at this show with Valors, Twin Citizen, and Moonlit Mushroom that I didn’t feel at The Palace Theatre. Big shows are amazing, but have you ever been to an underattended local show where, by the end of the night, everyone turns into friends, and you leave feeling like it was more than just a show? Those are the kinds of shows I live for, and being able to live in both worlds on Saturday night was terrific.

Line Up:

Uff-Da

Moonlit Mushroom

Twin Citizen

Valors

Venue: Amsterdam Bar & Hall

Smell-O-Meter: Fries

Average Age of the Crowd: 30

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 0 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)-

Uff-Da – 0

Moonlit Mushroom – 0

Twin Citizen – 3

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score – 8 out of 10

Show on Deck — FIGHT! For Your Civil Rights! Featuring: Turn Turn Turn, The Muatas, The Silent Treatment, Dad Bod; Ganser; Christy Costello, The Daily Norm, Walken Schweigert of Open Flame, Strong Buffalo, M.A.Y.

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