Girl at the Rock Shows

I feel like I went from being at Cloudland multiple times a week to just a couple of times a month, if that. This breaks my heart because Cloudland is definitely one of the best venues we have in the Twin Cities, but scheduling just has not worked out. They keep on having amazing shows, but I keep on being asked to other shows and venues across town. I finally got to revisit this little gem on Wednesday, and although the face at the door has changed, not much else has, and that brought me so much comfort. It created the perfect setting for what would ultimately become one hell of a show.

Panel was really just getting started when I saw them last November, so I was so excited to see what this local band has been up to lately, especially since their name keeps getting tossed into conversations about the best local release of the year. To say that this group has gotten tighter and more refined over the past couple of months would be an understatement. Their set felt flawless (once they overcame the technical difficulties that had delayed their start slightly) and was filled with creative energy. Sonically, this band is just a good ol’ fashioned rock n’ roll band, but I love the way that their sound seems to twist and turn through various sub-genres. From surf punk to DIY punk, the attitude and energy of this band were both explosive and subdued, all at the same time, which created a set that both delighted and intrigued me. Although I haven’t had a chance to check out their album ‘A Great Time to Be an Empath’ yet, I definitely plan on digging in today because, based on what I heard on Wednesday night, there’s a good reason why their name keeps coming up in the conversations revolving around the best local releases of the year.

I didn’t know what to expect from the next local band on this bill, Makin’ Out. Truthfully, I had only just started seeing their name on flyers around town and hadn’t found the time to dig into what this band is all about. What a mistake that was, because I genuinely think that this band may be one of my biggest “local bands to see” kinds of acts. Makin’ Out’s sound was as familiar as it was foreign. There was a singer-songwriter vibe that emanated from some of the songwriting and vocalist Caitlin Angelica’s general approach, but the way it was combined with slightly abrasive instrumentation made it feel like it was worlds removed from such a low-key describing classification as singer-songwriter. Add the slight country twang that comes with Caitlin’s voice, and you are left with an overall tone that, again, you may find certain moments familiar, but overall, it comes off as something completely fresh and vibrant. I wish I had so much more to say about this band because they deserve a whole dang post about just them, but truthfully, I’m still trying to sort through all of my own thoughts about them. All you need to know is that this may be the first time I’m writing about Makin’ Out, but it surely won’t be the last.

Self-proclaimed “song and dance man,” Al Scorch, was up next. Al’s set was starkly different than the previous two sets and the headlining set to come on Wednesday night, but I liked how his short time on stage acted as a palette cleanser. Okay, that sounds bad, and I don’t mean it in a bad way, but to go from two truly rockin’ bands to just a dude with a banjo was definitely a plot twist, but in the best way possible. The first thing that struck me about Al was his charm. There wasn’t a moment in Al’s set when there wasn’t a giant toothy smile stretching from ear to ear. Even when he was singing his songs that had lyrics that were painfully relatable and honest, he seemed to be smiling through a grin. I loved how Al was all business when it came to his craft, but between tracks, he would take time to sneak little jokes in here and there and even read us a poem he wrote about Chicago hot dogs. Al Scorch only graced the small stage at Cloudland for a few songs and a few jokes, which was the most disappointing thing about Wednesday night. As Al put it, the headliners, Shellshag, came from a lot further away than he did. Al comes from Chicago, and he promised to come back again soon and give us more. I truly hope he was being honest because I would love to see, hear, and feel more from this unique and fantastic musician.

Cloudland was absolutely packed by the time headliners Shellshag took the stage, and, honestly, I couldn’t tell you why. I was at this show on a whim. I had heard and seen some things about this duo that had intrigued me, but beyond that, I was going into this show blind. I was alone. A sense of anticipation and excitement rose as the duo took their place on the stage. After a quick intro from John “Shellhead” Driver (that was so full of positive energy), the band dove into their set that left me completely speechless.

The first thing I noticed about this band was the “tower” situated right in the middle of the stage. It looks a bit industrial or straight out of a Mad Max movie. It lit up different colors and acted as a microphone stand with both John and Jennifer Shagaway’s microphones protruding from the top. John stood on one side of this tower with his guitar slung around his neck, and Jennifer stood on the other, situated behind three drums and decorated in bells and other auxiliary noisemakers around her ankles and waist. Nothing about this band’s set-up was normal, and I quickly realized that neither was their music. There were moments of abrasive and angsty energy that were quickly followed by otherworldly moments of beauty. It was all over the place and, truthfully, at times, became a bit hard for me to follow sonically, but the way that these two humans played off of each other and off of the energy and excitement of the audience was more than enough to have me completely captivated within the first song.

As much as I loved watching these two musicians get completely lost in their own worlds, it was watching the audience that was the cherry on top for me. I almost felt bad that I had snagged a spot towards the front of the venue to get my photos. There were so many people around me who had clearly been waiting for this moment. They were singing and dancing along to the quirky yet infectious beats. At one point, someone near me started crying during one of the songs. I only wished that I had known enough about this band to join in with everyone, but, at the same time, bearing witness to people having such a moving experience was amazing.

I’m not sure what happened, but about halfway through Shellshag’s set, flowers began being thrown onto the stage and into the audience. I started to panic every time a flower landed on a drumhead or made its way towards John, who was busy with his guitar riffs, but the band didn’t seem to mind. In fact, they seemed to truly appreciate the flowers on a deep level. There must have been hundreds of dollars’ worth of fake flowers flying every which way, and although I may never know why this happened, I know that it just added a magical touch to the night. It was as if these flowers were pixie dust, sprinkling magic and positive energy everywhere they went.

I was excited to return to Cloudland for the first time in a few weeks on Wednesday night and knew I was in store for a great show, given that it’s Cloudland. However, I was not quite prepared for what I got. Will Wednesday night end up in my countdown of the best shows of 2025? We still have a lot of year left, I know, but I think it’s safe to assume that this one is going to be a hard show to beat.

Line Up:

Panel

Makin’ Out

Al Scorch

Shellshag

Venue: Cloudland

Smell-O-Meter: Pizza

Average Age of the Crowd: 34

Crowd Surfers- 1 Attempted

Stage Divers- 1

Mosh-ability- 4 out of 10

Amount of Beer Spilled On Me While Walking Around- $0

Broken Bones- None Noticed

Spotted Flying Through The Air- So many flowers

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)-

Panel – 1

Makin’ Out – 0

Al Scorch – 0

Shellshag – 0

Celebrity Sightings – It felt like everyone in the audience was someone I recognized from a local band

Overall Score – 9.7 out of 10

Show on Deck — Slime Monsters of Outter Space / Adult Video / Megan Oh / Pals

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