Girl at the Rock Shows

Covering Riot Fest in Chicago last weekend was insane. I mean, come on, I got to photograph and see John Stamos playing with The Beach Boys, photographed Weird Al, and got to see Cobra Starship perform for the first time in over a decade. It was truly a dream and an absolute honor to be there to document the weekend, but if I’m being honest, I felt more joy on Friday night at Zhora Darling in Minneapolis. There’s something that happens at a local show that you just can’t feel at giant festivals and arena shows, and that something is connection, community, and love. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I felt plenty of love from the bands I saw at Riot Fest, but it comes in a different form at a local show, and that love, mixed with the talent, is what made Friday night such a fantastic night.

Opening up the four-band show was Danger Pins. My only experience with this band was catching their extremely brief set at Front Row Paul Fest a couple of months ago. They only had about fifteen minutes on stage, but they had me hooked, and I was excited to get more from them. I honestly don’t know what genre to categorize this local band under. Some songs felt straight out of the True Blood soundtrack, while others had an almost surf-punk-inspired feel. Regardless of the vibe this band was giving off, they performed every song with an undeniable sense of heart and passion, while maintaining a lighthearted feel. I felt comforted by Danger Pins’ music in a way that I didn’t know I wanted to be comforted.

I was blown away the first time I saw The Dirty Pretty at Can Can Wonderland this past spring, so being able to catch them perform again was absolutely a highlight of Friday night for me. This band is quirky in all of the right ways. Their sound is a unique blend of noise-inspired punk and straight-up chaos. It’s not music for the faint of heart, and I could definitely hear how this band may not be for everyone sonically, but when it comes to their message, this band is absolutely for everyone. Their message came through loud and clear– stay true to yourself, don’t change for anyone or anything. Given the current political climate, this is a message that you just can’t hear enough, and something about hearing it from this quirky duo hit home especially hard. Much like their music, the members of this band are wholly themselves, and something about seeing and hearing it was just so very empowering.

Velahsa is absolutely a band to keep your eye on right now. This pop-punk-leaning trio is full of life every time that I see them perform, with Friday night being no exception to that. Velahsa is not a new band in any way, shape, or form. In fact, they have been doing their thing for well over ten years at this point, but they are finally hitting their stride. Sure, there weren’t a lot of people at this show, but this band had everyone at Zhora Darling moving (even if ever so slightly) to their infectious songs and powerful anthems.

Much like all the other bands that performed on Friday night, this band is so much more than just their sound; the members of this band are some of the sweetest souls out there (again, this could be said for all the acts on this bill). I’m going to single out vocalist and guitarist Bryan Miller here. I don’t remember how I connected with Bryan, but he instantly became a huge supporter of me and this blog. He always has the nicest things to say and is always inviting me out to catch him live. Although I can’t always make it, I always feel appreciated when schedules finally line up and I can see Velahsa live. When I arrived at Zhora Darling and said hello to Bryan, he mentioned that he had a surprise for me. I hate surprises, but braced myself. After a few songs, Bryan took a break to say some words– words about me. I could feel my cheeks turn bright red, and I wanted nothing more than to slide out the door like nothing had ever happened. Okay, that’s not true, but I genuinely hate the spotlight being on me. Bryan talked about how much I do for this scene and for the local bands. After this talk and an impressively loud round of applause from the barebones audience, Velahsa broke into a cover of Blink 182’s “First Date.” I know that this moment didn’t affect anyone else at this show the way it affected me, but it was the first time I had ever gotten a shout-out on stage, the first time I had a song dedicated to me, the first time that I really felt seen by this local scene. Bryan didn’t have to do this. For me, Friday night was just another night at another local show, doing what I can to support this scene, but the acknowledgement, as much as I low-key hated it, absolutely made my life. A huge thank you to Bryan and this entire band for the recognition and the love. Truly.

It has been nearly ten years since I last saw Nato Coles and the Blue Diamond band. Man, that feels weird to say. Nato Coles is a staple of this local scene, and although I have seen him out and about at various other shows, it has really been nearly a decade since I’ve seen him work his magic on a stage. I will never let it go that long again. Nato Coles is a treasure of this local scene. His sound blends punk rock sensibilities with a more Americana and rootsy style kind of vibe. He and his amazing band have a sound that is larger than life, but, at the same time, is perfectly accessible. There were songs that I wanted to hum along to, some that I wanted to push and shove my way through, and others where all I could do was get completely lost in the sound.

Friday night at Zhora Darling was one of those perfect local shows. It had a little bit of everything when it came to the sound and vibe of the music, and everyone in attendance and on stage had a smile on their face. Why weren’t you there? It was heartbreaking to be at such an amazing showing of local talent, yet to see just a handful of people there. I get that it was nice out and that we all want to take in as much of this last breath of summer that we can, but at the same time, the bar portion of Zhora Darling was packed by the time I left the show. Why didn’t those people come into the actual show? It was a $10 cover, people, $10. That’s less than one drink. The Hook & Ladder Lounge & Theater in Minneapolis issued an alert on Friday stating that they need help. They are struggling to stay afloat, and without more people coming out and supporting them, they may not last much longer. We just saw Palmer’s closed. That bar had been open for over 100 years. This is not a drill, people, venues are closing, and they need our support. Big shows and festivals are great, but spend the $10 and go to a venue like Zhora Darling on a Friday night rather than just sitting at a bar. Even if the music isn’t for you, that $10 of support will go a long way further than you will ever know. #endrant

Friday night was a reminder of why I do this. It was a reminder of why I don’t know what it is to live a normal life, why I will never have a clean house, and why I am perpetually exhausted. It was a reminder of the magic and sense of community that comes from live music, and it was a night that was absolutely flawless through and through. Wish you had been there!

Line Up:

Danger Pins

The Dirty Pretty

Velahsa

Nato Coles & The Blue Diamond Band

Venue: Zhora Darling

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing

Average Age of the Crowd: 35

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 1 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)-

Danger Pins – 1

The Dirty Pretty – 1

Velasha – 2

Nato Coles & The Blue Diamond Band – 2

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score –8 out of 10

Show on Deck —Cannibal Corpse / Municipal Waste / Full of Hell / Fulci

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