Girl at the Rock Shows

Thursday night was one of those nights when I felt like I knew nothing about anything as I walked into the 7th Street Entry. I knew I was there for a show, but beyond that, I couldn’t tell you a single thing about either band performing or even what kind of music they play. Some people may think that this is a crazy way of going to shows and wonder why I waste my time on things that I can’t know are worth my time or not, but to those I say, why not? What else was I going to do? Just sit on the couch and watch crappy TV? Finally get caught up on laundry and work? Come on now, what’s the fun in that? I was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as the house lights went down and the first band took the stage. I was ready for whatever they were going to give me and, whether it was for me or not, I was going to find something to enjoy in the night.

It wasn’t hard to find something to enjoy when it came to Jaguar Sun. A solo project from multi-instrumentalist Chris Minielly, Jaguar Sun instantly had me hooked. Joined on stage by a super-talented band, Chris had something about him that screamed comfort. Sure, the music they were playing wasn’t the most amped up kind of sound I had ever heard, and, truthfully, there were moments that I felt I was being lulled to sleep by the beauty of it all, but there was something about the energy that Chris and his band were giving off that I just could not get enough of. I know that I’ve mentioned how concerts are my safe space. That was the case on Thursday night with Jaguar Sun. There was just something about Chris laying his heart out on the stage for all to hear, and without hesitation, that made this feel like such a warm and cozy space on a fairly chilly night.

Stylistically, I would describe Jaguar Sun’s sound as dream pop. There were moments where it really felt like I was stuck in a dream of big fluffy clouds and a subtle sunset in the distance. Okay, dramatic, I know, but there was something oddly cinematic about the sound that was coming off the stage. That’s nothing new, but what did feel a bit foreign was the fact that Jaguar Sun wasn’t trying to be a cinematic band —it just happened because of the sheer power and emotion they put into every song they performed. At one point, Chris admitted that he was going to try out a new song on the audience. He wasn’t asking for permission, but was more warning the audience. Within just seconds of this particular song, I knew I was seeing magic happen. Maybe this was the live debut of the song, maybe it wasn’t; either way, this new song and the perfection that came with it were all the proof I needed to know that Jaguar Sun is a name I will surely be seeing more of in the future.

As Jaguar Sun was tearing down and Meltt, the headliner for the night, was taking over, I finally realized just how full the room had gotten. Don’t get me wrong, this wasn’t a sold-out show, but it had really filled in, and that had me super excited to see what Meltt was all about. I know that a packed audience can mean nothing in the way of talent from the band. I’ve seen some pretty terrible bands sell out rooms before, but something felt different about this audience. They were excited. I was watching strangers turn into friends as chatter spread throughout the room. Everyone was talking about the first time they heard Meltt or the last time they had seen Meltt perform. I stood there, seemingly captured by all of these conversations. I wanted to be part of them but knew that, until I saw this band on Thursday night, I couldn’t partake. I knew nothing about what was about to happen, but I knew that the excitement I felt around me had me more than ready to experience whatever it was that Meltt was.

Nothing that Meltt did on stage on Thursday night felt familiar to me, and I loved everything about that. Their sound was all over the place. Sure, you could call it alternative rock, but that doesn’t come close to doing this band’s sound justice. There were patterns of everything from the dream-pop styled calm that Jaguar Sun had laid out to something a bit more post-rock leaning and intense. Everything about this band felt so dramatic and shouldn’t have worked together so well, but the talent that the members of Meltt clearly possess made it all feel and sound so natural.

There wasn’t much to see when it came to Meltt’s set. As you may have noticed from the photos I got from the show, the room was full of haze, to the point where I couldn’t even see the band members on stage at certain points in the night, but I loved what that added to their sound. It encouraged you to get lost in Meltt’s world, to forget whatever was on your mind, and just let yourself drop into their delicate yet powerful sound. There were bars of light set up across the stage that would change the mood of the fog in a way. When the lights would turn to a blue hue, I would feel a more somber feeling. When the lights got slightly brighter with tones of red and orange, I would feel this tiny burst of energy. I know this may seem like common sense, but I feel like it’s been a hot minute since such “simple” lighting had such an effect on the way I took in a show. I attribute that to the music that accompanied it all.

I walked into Thursday night’s show at 7th Street Entry not knowing anything about anything and walked out with two small parts of my heart missing because they had been stolen by Jaguar Sun and Meltt. Long story short, I’m glad I took a chance on this show and urge you to try going into a show completely blind at least once. What’s the worst that could happen?

Line Up:

Jaguar Sun

Meltt

Venue: 7th Street Entry

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 34

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 0 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)-

Jaguar Sun – 0

Meltt – 0

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score –7 out of 10

Show on Deck —Purity Ring / yuniVERSE

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