Girl at the Rock Shows

I had the opportunity to attend the final night of the Minnesota Yacht Club festival on Sunday, thanks to a friend who had an extra wristband. It would have been super cool to see Green Day and all the other amazing acts performing at this festival, but my heart told me that’s not where I was meant to be. I wasn’t meant to be out in the sun with tens of thousands of other people; I was meant to be at my home away from home – Zhora Darling – for a local show.

Hardcore local punk band VVOLF MASK was the first to take the stage. I adore this band, and it had been too long since I had seen them live, so hearing them on Sunday night was as perfect as their set was. Garnished with audio clips from various horror movies, VVOLF MASK’s quick set hit, and it hit hard. From chugging guitars to dizzying basslines and all the way to the slamming drums, this trio was tight. They always are, but something just felt extraordinarily perfect on Sunday night. Maybe it was the levels of the sound pumping through the speakers, but I loved the fact that you could hear every intricacy of this band as they powered through their set. My only complaint when it comes to VVOLF MASK on Sunday night? Their set was short– like under thirty minutes short. I could have stood and watched this band perform for at least a couple of hours, but, like they say, too much of a good thing is never a good thing, so I guess I’ll just have to wait and catch them again so I can get another fix.

Following VVOLF MASK was God Came From Space —a band that doesn’t seem to take itself too seriously, yet produces some amazing, albeit quirky, sounds. I honestly don’t know if I love or hate this band. Their sound, at times, hits me super perfectly, but at others, I feel like it goes off the rails just enough to make me wonder what the heck is going on. That being said, the members of this band are class A musicians, and just watching their passion flow from their heads and hearts into their instruments is more than enough to keep me coming back for more time and time again. In the past, I had only ever seen this band outside at small block party type events, so it was nice to see them in a more intimate space where I could really “see” them.

Closing out the Sunday night show was The FAll (aka TFA, aka THE Fuck All). This show was supposed to be a release party for their new CD, but instead, turned into a t-shirt release party as the album isn’t quite ready for consumption yet. That didn’t change a thing about the celebratory nature of the night. The FAll took the stage and drenched the audience with their punk-leaning rock songs. I loved their overall sound, as it seemed to blend the intensity of VVOLF MASK with the quirkiness of God Came From Space, while adding The FAll’s own special sauce, making it a perfectly curated night of music, but it wasn’t the sound that really had me sold on this band; it was their performance. It was nothing over the top and, quite frankly, wasn’t anything extraordinary, but it was just fun. Much like the previous two acts, this is a band of guys who just really love to play and were excited to share their art with an audience. This entire band was fun to watch, but it was the bassist who really commanded my attention. There was just something about him that screamed dad, but a cool dad. From the faces he was making to the way he didn’t just stick to one spot on the stage, I just really thought that his performance added that little extra chutzpah to The FAll’s set that will absolutely make them a band I see again sooner rather than later.

I wish I had more to say about Sunday night at Zhora Darling, but truthfully, there’s not much more to say. It was one of those nights when I felt that there were too few people in the audience for the amount of talent on stage, but that didn’t stop me from thoroughly enjoying the night. I’m sure that the Minnesota Yacht Club Festival on Sunday was great, but have you ever gone to a small local show on a Sunday night and experienced an actual concert at a cute local venue rather than a money-grab at a festival put on by a corporation that only cares that you pay $20 for a can of Coors? I’ll stop there before I put foot in mouth, but long story short, go out to that local show. I assure you that you will feel more passion within a few minutes than you probably did all weekend at a festival like the Minnesota Yacht Club Festival.

Line Up:

VVOLF MASK

God Came From Space

The F*All

Venue: Zhora Darling

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

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 – 0

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

VVOLF MASK – 3

God Came From Space – 2

The F*All – 0

Celebrity Sightings – Members of Outlaw Saint

Overall Score – 8 out of 10

Show on Deck — The Briefly Gorgeous / Delicate Friend / Mars Counsel / Mouthful

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