She’s The Kind Of Girl You Write Songs About

Did you love or hate your prom? Did you even go? I went to my prom senior year, and although I recall I had to miss a killer show to go, and don’t remember everything that happened that night, just due to how long ago it was, I do remember loving every minute of it. I had a great group of friends, a great date, and everything was just great. That was not the experience for everyone and I understand that so I thought it was so charming and cute that anni xo turned their album release show at the beautiful Hook & Ladder Theater into a queer prom complete with a photo booth, Disco ball, and slightly awkward slow dance moments.

clovers daughter was first to take the stage. A new name to me, I was instantly enamored by this beautiful songstress. Born Noor Shami, clovers daughter had an edge to her sound, but there was also something so smooth and chill about it. Backed by an incredible band, I felt captured by the words being sung throughout the set. Although I wasn’t smart enough to jot some of them down, I could feel each one deep in my soul, and to say they resonated with me would be an understatement. I loved how clovers daughter wasn’t afraid to play with space and silence. There were moments of the set where I couldn’t tell if a song had ended or if it was just a small break in a track, and I loved how that added a slight sense of tension, as if emphasizing the subtle angst that floated throughout the set. clovers daughter may have been a new name to me when she and her band took the stage but, by the end of it, I felt like I was watching a good friend pour her heart out to me and I can’t wait to experience it again soon.

That whole pouring your heart out on stage thing continued into Sophie Hiroko’s set. A Duluth native who recently moved to the Twin Cities, Sophie has something so organic about her song but also, like clovers daughter, has this slight edge of aggression hidden behind the beauty. Sophie’s set started off slow and steady with just her voice and an acoustic guitar. After a few acoustic songs, she switched to just her and an electric guitar and then, eventually, was joined on stage by a bassist and drummer to really fill out the sound. Although overall, I was getting a very singer-songwriter vibe throughout Sophie’s set, there was no denying the grunge influence that popped in and reigned supreme as she performed with her bandmates. It had an edge, but it still had the beauty that Sophie had laid out when it was just her on stage. Sophie spoke about how she’s new to the Twin Cities. She just moved here from Duluth, and this was actually her first show with this band (though you wouldn’t have guessed it, since the trio played so beautifully together). I’m not trying to start fights or anything here, but Duluth, she’s ours now. Back off! Sophie- welcome home. You belong here, and I can not wait to see more of you around town!

I feel like every time I see LAAMAR play live, I say the same thing or at least have the same thought: Hot damn, I love this band so much. Stylistically, Laamar’s sound is so out of left field compared to what I typically listen to. It’s a little pop, a little R&B, a little soul, and a whole lot of tenderness. Definitely a far cry from the pop-punk world I live in. That being said, every time I see them perform, I feel a weight lift off my shoulders, and that’s precisely what happened as soon as they took the stage on Friday night. Fronted by Geoffrey Lamar Wilson, LAAMAR danced delicately through a set of music that was perfect for the prom. It was tender and lovely. There was a mature, almost painfully adult feeling to some of the words, but they fit the mood of the night so perfectly. It was the kind of music that made you want to grab your partner and sway, and that’s exactly what was happening throughout the crowd. Even if you were at this show alone, there was no stopping your hips from moving every so slightly to the caress of LAAMAR’s sound.

My obsession with the final act of the night, anni xo, started in January of this year. They replaced someone who had to drop off a show at the 7th Street Entry and instantly won over my heart. Their music was soft and sweet, but you could tell from the words that there was a sense of complexity, almost an inner battle, hidden within every track. I loved that because I felt that, although I was enjoying their music, I never quite figured them out. I’ve seen them one other time since that fateful night, and the feeling was the same. I felt like every time I saw them perform, I was getting closer to figuring it all out but also knew that I will never truly know how anni xo does what they do and that’s what keeps me coming back.

Friday night was a celebration of the release of anni xo’s album ‘SOMETHING PROFOUND.’ I love the fact that we got to hear the album from front to back but also that anni xo treated us to some additional songs. The set started off with two classics from anni xo’s 2023 EP, ‘allergic to dogs’ before it moved into a classic prom cover of Mazzy Star’s “Fade Into You.” Honestly, that cover was the highlight of my night. Don’t get me wrong, I loved hearing every song that anni xo and the incredible cast of musicians that graced the stage throughout the night gave me but there was something so perfect about the cover. As soon as the band kicked into the classic, the disco ball started burning a bit brighter. You saw couples slow dancing and friends huddled in hugs as they swayed to the familiar cover. I can’t completely pinpoint why this moment hit me so hard but I think it had something to do with looking around the room. I was watching people who probably never had this moment in high school finally get that slow dance with their loved one. There was no judgment, no stares, no questions, just love, and, although it was just me and my camera in this moment, trying to document the love that was radiating through the room, it was absolutely my favorite moment of the night.

Like I said, hearing ‘SOMETHING PROFOUND’ in its entirety on Friday was amazing. I loved that not only did you get the full band performing the songs, you got the guests that had come in to help anni xo record the album (shout out to Grant Glad of the “Glad you’re Here” podcast). It was a constantly rotating cast of characters, each one just as talented and important as the last. I feel like this was such a beautiful way to showcase just how much talent is in the Twin Cities, but I don’t need to explain that to you. You already know that we have the best music scene around because I never shut up about it.

A huge, giant, insanely large congrats to anni xo on the release of ‘SOMETHING PROFOUND.’ It’s truly an amazing album and, I think, the start of something truly profound (see what I did there?) when it comes to where music takes anni xo. The sky is truly the limit for this young talent, and I am just so honored that I have been here to see some of the come-up story.