Girl at the Rock Shows

After taking a few more days off to spend time with family that had come to town to see my new niece, I was ready to get back into showsing and felt the need to make up for some missed local shows that were surely amazing. What better way to make up for lost time than to go to a marathon, fifteen-band line-up on a Saturday afternoon into evening? Absolutely nothing so, instead of boring you with an intro about how my life has been since I last covered a show, let’s just jump into the epic event that was Fast Fun Fest #2 at Amsterdam Bar & Hall in Saint Paul on Saturday.

**Disclaimer** There were literally fifteen sets, each lasting a mere twenty minutes and switching from the hall stage to the floor of the bar area. Things moved quickly, and there was a lot to cover, so I’ll keep reviews of each band brief and concise. This is not at all a reflection on their talent or anything like that, more just saving you from a ten-thousand-word post.

Kicking things off was Junior Taylor. The sole duo of the show, I liked how Junior Taylor’s garage-rock sound worked as a way to warm things up. Don’t get me wrong, these two musicians had a sense of power and energy behind them, but it was definitely an “ease into the show” kind of set.

I have known of Amerikan Junk, the next band to perform, but I couldn’t tell you the last time I got to see them perform live. This is a shame because this band absolutely deserves more attention than they seem to get. Their quick set was perfect and punchy, giving me the blast of sheer energy and power that I surely needed to get through the rest of this little festival.

For the most part, Saturday’s show was a showcase of local talent, but, lucky for us, Catholics from the East Coast stopped by to show off their talent and genius. I’m not typically one for instrumental acts, but this group had me struck. The virtuosic talent, mixed with their subtle showmanship, left me absolutely floored. Sure, they aren’t a local act, but, if only for yesterday, the Twin Cities has gladly claimed them as our own.

Busey is another local ground, like Amerikan Junk, that I think I’ve seen before but couldn’t tell you when. What I can tell you is this is another band that I feel is a bit underestimated. They have a little swagger and groove behind their sound and no shortage of grit and personality. Although their set seemed to be plagued by technical issues, they never gave up or gave in, leading to a great and powerful set.

Nicotine Addiction Band took the hall stage next and, before starting, explained that they definitely weren’t as heavy as the previous acts. I’m not sure if this was a joke that just didn’t land for me, or not, but this group had no shortage of power. Their DIY-styled punk sound was perfect and kept the day going even though, in my head, I was already starting to stress out about the sheer amount of work that I had ahead of me when it came to editing photos and writing about all of these acts.

I have put Fragged Out on my calendar so many times at this point, but every time, something else comes up and I can’t make it. I finally got to see them do their thing on Saturday and, holy crap, nothing will ever trump seeing this band again. Their sound was definitely the most classic hardcore-leaning sound of the day, and they had a performance to match that. It was intense, aggressive, in your face, but most importantly, they sounded great. This is a solid band and one that I will surely cover in more depth very soon.

I’ve covered Virginia’s Basement a few times now and have always praised them for being such a raw and amazing band. Their set on Saturday was no different, so I will spare you from going into detail about my love for this act again, but will just say that the emotional strength and vulnerability of this local group is truly insane and something that must be seen and felt to truly understand.

Seeing Rad Enhancer always makes me happy. They brought their signature thrashy energy and fun-loving energy to the bar stage as they do every time. This band is crisp and clean even though there is constantly a head-spinning amount of notes happening in any given beat. A fun band that doesn’t take themselves too seriously but also knows damn well what they are doing, Rad Enhancer is absolutely becoming a favorite of mine in the local scene.

Couch Potato Massacre is making waves in the scene lately, and there’s no mistaking why. A pop-punk band with no shortage of grit, this band powered through more songs in just five minutes than some bands could fit into their entire set on Saturday. Couch Potato Massacre’s short songs are as funny as they are catchy, and include a track about the top ten vampire movies, which came complete with a handwritten list for the vocalist to follow while performing.

Linus’ name has been mentioned to me repeatedly. Funny story, there are two bands in the local scene with this same name. I’ve seen the lo-fi, shoegaze-style Linus, but Saturday was my first time seeing the pop-punk band called Linus, and I hate the fact that it’s taken me this long to see them live. They were another classic pop-punk band with an insane amount of grit and heart incorporated into their set.

I don’t even know where to begin with the next act. VVakefield absolutely blew me away. I feel like I have seen them before, but don’t remember them being so powerful. Their heavy sound was flawless, and their explosive performance matched it, creating a truly jaw-dropping twenty minutes and a new local obsession for me to keep my eyes on.

The Sex Rays brought the surf punk vibe to this lineup and did it with a sense of swagger that cannot be put into words. Although their sound kind of stood out against the rest of this line-up, their energy fit the day perfectly.

My Kid Banana brought things back to the classic pop-punk tone that we had gotten from Couch Potato Massacre and Linus, but with an almost Bowling For Soup-leaning sense of humor. Their set was as light-hearted as it was full of talent and flawless curation. I loved the fact that, although they only had twenty minutes on stage, they gave the audience a great taste of what they have to offer.

The final “traditional band” to perform (more on this in a second) on Saturday was Hella Reptilian. This is one of the only bands on this bill that I had never heard of before, but they ended up beng one of the most intriguing of the day. Their sound was artsy, but it was definitely punk. There was an interesting, almost spoken-word aspect to this group, as well as a Rage Against the Machine-style energy. It was a cool way to end the “traditional” portion of this mini-festival.

Closing out Saturday’s epic event was Karaoke Crime Scene. That’s right, karaoke, and, no, I did not partake, but I loved watching audience members get up on the hall stage and belt it all out. The thing that makes this live band karaoke group unique is the fact that they really focus on punk songs. I heard a little bit of everything from The Pixies to “Seeing Double at the Triple Rock” from NOFX. Regardless of what was being performed or how much talent (or lack thereof) there was on stage, Karaoke Crime Scene was truly such a great and brilliant way to end Fast Fun Fest #2.

Well, there you have it– Fast Fun Fest #2 is a wrap and I truly can not wait for the third installment of this little local festival (let’s hope it doesn’t take another six years like we had to wait between the first and second installment). I loved checking out some new local (and national) talent, seeing some old favorites, and just seeing the amount of support and admiration that is within this local scene. The music was all truly amazing, and I loved seeing and meeting people, but I think the highlight of this festival was just seeing every band wear the merch from other bands in the local scene. What we have here in the Twin Cities when it comes to our local scene is truly rare and beautiful. I am honestly just so honored to be such a small part of it all.

Line Up:

Junior Taylor

Amerikan Junk

Catholics

Busey

Nicotine Addiction Band

Fragged Out

Virginia’s Basement

Rad Enhancer

Couch Potato Massacre

Linus

VVakefield

The Sex Rays

My Kid Banana

Hella Reptilian

Karaoke Crime Scene

Venue: Amsterdam Bar & Hall

Smell-O-Meter: The amazing food of Amsterdam Bar & Hall

Average Age of the Crowd: 33

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)-

Junior Taylor – 0

Amerikan Junk – 0

Catholics – 0

Busey – 1

Nicotine Addiction Band – 0

Fragged Out – 0

Virginia’s Basement – 2

Rad Enhancer – 2

Couch Potato Massacre -1

Linus – 0

VVakefield – 1

The Sex Rays – 1

My Kid Banana -0

Hella Reptilian – 0

Karaoke Crime Scene – 0

Celebrity Sightings – Members of By the Thousands

Overall Score – 9.2 out of 10

Show on Deck — Front Row Project Festival

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