Girl at the Rock Shows

Halloween is one of those nights when I stay in due to too many things happening, and all of them tend to get a bit rowdier than I like to go to. Basically, I feel like every Halloween turns into amateur night, and the older I get, the less patience I have for it. So why did I decide to go out this Halloween? I couldn’t tell you, but I do know that when leaving the house to pick up some friends and head to The Turf Club in Saint Paul, I was ready for it. I was excited. I had Count Spookula blasting in the car and a fresh energy drink prepared to keep me going late into the night.

Although I couldn’t tell you exactly why I decided that this year was going to be different for me, I can tell you that as soon as I stepped foot into The Turf Club, I felt my actions were justified. Los Malos Pasos were first up, and I genuinely love this band. They have a very ska-meets-mariachi sound that is as fun as it is well-executed. They were on point on Friday night. With each member dressed in their own unique attire, Los Malos Pasos had the entire packed audience dancing to their energized sound. I promise not to get super political here, but Friday night wasn’t just a Halloween show; it was a show that featured calls to action with a few different organizations tabling the event and places to donate money to various organizations and causes. There was just something so beautiful about having a band with a background in a world that society apparently has a problem with. Again, I won’t stay on this soapbox for long, but not only did Los Malos Pasos bring an amazing sound to the night, they also brought a sense of community that would reign supreme throughout the rest of the night.

Case in point, before The Prizefighters took the stage, one of the members took the microphone and mentioned one of the organizations that were at this event. The organization was one that helps people deal with crappy landlords, and although it isn’t something that can help me, as I am fortunate enough to own my space, it’s something that I think is overshadowed by everything else happening on the planet and is super important. Long story short, I loved the way The Prizefighters started their set this way because, again, the sense of community was real, and it seemed to add a special sort of feeling to their two-tone ska set.

The Prizefighters are far from a new band in town. They’ve been around since around 2006 and have stayed true to their chill Jamaican-ska styled rocksteady sound ever since then. I’ll be honest, their sound on Friday night wasn’t quite what I wanted. I was in the mood for loud horns and danceable beats, and although The Prizefighters gave me that, their energy just felt a bit laid back compared to what I was really looking for. That’s not at all a knock on this band. They are amazing, and their performances never cease to put me in a fantastic mood, with Friday being no exception, but I just wish there had been a bit more chutzpah behind their set to really make it fit the party-like atmosphere that could be felt throughout The Turf Club.

I never saw Alien Book Club when they were a thing, and that’s a shame. In fact, I had never even heard of this band before the show, but I knew that the fact that it was being billed as a “one-night-only” reunion event meant I was in for a treat. I was surprised as the band took the stage. From what I can tell, this was a huge band with nine members back in the day, but on Thursday, they came in the form of a more scaled-down five-piece. That didn’t take away from the musical power or star power of this band. I was already sold on this band as soon as Anita Velveeta took the stage. If you don’t know who this amazing musician is, you need to change that immediately. She has a remarkable sound and an incredible amount of energy behind everything she does, and may even have a spot in my top shows of the year from her performance back in January. She wasn’t the only superstar in this band; you also had Dante of Space Monkey Mafia on his saxophone. Although I would be seeing them doing their thing in Space Monkey Mafia in just a little bit, I was excited to see this other project of theirs. I’m sure the other three members of this band are also superstars from the scene, but unfortunately, they weren’t familiar to me. That being said, by the end of the set, everyone in this band and this band in general were superstars in my heart.

Although again, I found the sound of Alien Book Club to be a bit tamer than I was in the mood for on Friday night, I instantly latched onto their sound. It was all over the place. There were moments where I felt like we were going to dive into a colorful world of indie pop, but, within seconds, something would happen and an ocean wave would sweep over me, taking me off to a surf punk kind of vibe. I love the fact that, even at the end of their time on stage, I still don’t have the right words to describe the sounds I heard. I couldn’t tell you a genre or even a mood, as it was always changing, but I can tell you that it was clear that everyone in this group brought a different flavor to the sound, and somehow, these musical geniuses combined them all to create a wholly unique and original sound.

Closing out these Halloween festivities was the one and only Space Monkey Mafia. Having covered this local ska band no less than ten times already, I promise not to keep you much longer rehashing all my thoughts on this band, but I will say —you need to pay attention to this band. Not only does their sound possess the classic fun energy characteristic of a perfect ska band, but they also convey a call to action through some of their songs. They are extremely political, but at the same time, extremely fun. That’s a hard line for bands to tow, but Space Monkey Mafia does it so easily.

Friday night felt like your standard Space Monkey Mafia show. It was full of danceable moments and a frenzied pit happening just in front of the stage. What set this set apart was the Halloween aspect of the night. First off, the costumes that the members of this band were wearing were perfect. Each member of the band was dressed up as someone from Shrek. If you know me, you know I love Shrek, so this was a thrill in itself, but that’s not where the band stopped it. They kicked off their set with a ska-drenched cover of “All Star” from Smash Mouth, and to say it was perfect would be an understatement. I know it was part of their bit for the Halloween celebration, but I truly hope this is a cover I get to hear and see them do again.

I’m glad I went out on Halloween this year because this show was amazing and so worth it, but I would be remiss if I didn’t also admit that I quickly remembered why I don’t go out on holidays like this. People were ready to party and clearly took it too far. There was some drama and some weird vibes at The Turf Club throughout this show that do not typically happen at a Space Monkey Mafia show. It definitely didn’t leave a bad taste in my mouth or anything like that, but it was purely just a sign of the night we were having. I also think it’s a sign of the times. We are all looking for a release these days, and I’m not above having a night where you get a bit out of control, but even when that happens, please remember to be kind to one another. We are all in the spiraling black hole together, and the least we can do is be kind.

Line Up:

Los Malos Pasos

The Prizefighters

Alien Book Club

Space Monkey Mafia

Venue: Turf Club

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 29

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

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-Nothing

Fights- 1

Pukers- 1

Passed Out People- 0

Idiots Taken Out By Security – 1

How Many Times I’ve Seen These Bands Before (or at least how many times I can remember)-

Los Malos Pasos – 1

The Prizefighters – 2

Alien Book Club – 0

Space Monkey Mafia – 10

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score –8.9 out of 10

Show on Deck —Everclear / Local H / Sponge

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