Happy Birthday, Alyssia!

Do you ever have one of those moments when you just look around you and can’t believe that this is what your life is? That was me on Thursday night. I won’t get super sappy or anything like that, but instead of being at a traditional show at a conventional venue, I found myself in a backyard, surrounded by people that I only know through music, celebrating the birthday of one of my best friends, whom I had met through a local venue. It doesn’t sound super wild, I know, and, honestly, it wasn’t the most wild night or show of the year for me, but there was just something about the event that was so humbling and made my heart so freaking full. Since this was not a traditional show, I will not be writing a traditional review. In fact, I plan on keeping this pretty dang short, but I just felt the need to explain how amazing not only the music was on Thursday night, but also how truly lovely the setting and the people around me were.

Let’s talk about the birthday human first. My dear, dear Alyssia. Where do I even start? When I met Alyssia, it was through countless nights being on the guest list for shows at the various First Avenue-owned venues in town. They really only knew me by my last name for the first year or so of knowing each other. I will never forget walking through the door of The Turf Club in Saint Paul just to hear my last name shouted out at a ridiculously embarrassing level, followed by Alyssia’s signature chuckle. I honestly don’t remember when, why, or how I became more than just a last name to them, but eventually, it turned into more than just my last name being shouted. It turned into a friendship that I absolutely cherish with all of my heart, so, although a million other shows were happening throughout the cities on Thursday night, I knew that this birthday party was where I was supposed to be.

This show was held in the backyard of Chris and Semaj. Both of these fantastic individuals also work in the First Avenue ecosystem, so I knew them, but not super well. The staff at First Avenue can be a bit cultish (and I mean that in the best way possible), but thanks to my friendship with Alyssia and other people just from being at one of their various venues throughout town night after night, I’ve been turned into a bit of an honorary staff member. There are many people who think I actually work at these venues, and although it’s not true, it’s always fun to tease them a little by doing things like showing up to the company party year after year (but that’s a story for another post). Long story short, I was going to what I thought would be a house owned by strangers, but as soon as I walked into the backyard, I felt at home. I was welcomed with open arms, plenty of food, libations, and smiles, and, like my friendship with Alyssia, it filled my heart to the brim.

I’ve always thought about throwing myself a birthday concert, but the task just seems so daunting. How do I pick the place? How do I choose the bands? I’ve never done it, but after attending a few of these birthday shows, I realize that as long as you pick people who have heart and passion, it’s going to be a good time. Alyssia had definitely picked people who fit that mold. I suppose now is a good time to jump into the music. Again, keeping this short and sweet, but that is not at all a statement on the talent or passion that I saw on the driveway.

Unfortunately, I was too late to catch Slime Monsters From Outer Space. After a hectic day at work, I just needed a minute to decompress. Unfortunately, being an outdoor show in a charming South Minneapolis neighborhood, this event started early in the afternoon, meaning I didn’t arrive in time. My apologies to this local band, and I know this was a mistake, especially after seeing them perform live a couple of weeks ago on the radio show I co-host.

I did arrive at this shindig just in time to witness the magic that is Adult Video. I was instantly hooked. Although sonically, Adult Video was a bit rough around the edges (I attribute that to the challenge of holding a show outside), they had me hooked with their performance. They weren’t afraid to get in people’s faces and weren’t afraid to let their garage-rock styled set flow throughout the entire neighborhood.

Up next was local hip-hop artist Megan Oh. I was instantly in love with Megan’s charm. Her flow was on point, and her lyrics definitely felt very Minnesota (I’ve gotten into this whole thing about Minnesota rap and hip-hop before, so I will spare you). I loved how, although people spent the majority of Megan’s set chatting and catching up, she kept doing her thing and made sure that you not only heard her music but also felt her message. I cannot overstate the amount of positive energy that this performer has, and I hope I get a chance to see her again soon.

Closing out the music side of the night was PALS. I’ve seen PALS one other time and know the bassist/vocalist as my bartender at The Turf Club. This duo is noisy; they’re loud, sludgey, doomy, and dark, but with a sense of humor behind it all, and on Thursday night, they were on point. I’m sure that their set wasn’t the neighbors’ favorite set of the day, but for everyone in attendance, it was a chance to break into a bit of a moshpit and just let off some steam while continuing to celebrate Alyssia’s birthday.

Like I said, quick review (although I’m now realizing that this isn’t much shorter than one of my usual ones but I digress) but I just could not live with myself without throwing up a post because, again, this was one of those nights where I really wanted someone to pinch me just to make sure that this truly is my life. Here I was, watching some amazing music while chatting and hanging out with some truly amazing people who would never have been in my life had I not started this blog. Music is wild. Not just the tones and the notes, but the world that you find yourself in when you give yourself to music entirely.

A massive shoutout to everyone involved in making this happen, and a ginormous thank you to Chris and Semaj for opening up their house and hosting such a wonderful party, ensuring everyone felt comfortable and had what they needed when they needed it. I know it sounds so cliché, but this was more than just a group of friends getting together to celebrate– this was a family hanging out and celebrating one of our own.

Final thoughts of this post: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ALYSSIA! I genuinely hope you had such a fantastic time, and I cannot thank you enough for welcoming me into your life. You truly mean so much to so many people, and I hope you saw and felt that last night!