Girl at the Rock Shows

I often talk about how Sunday night shows can set the tone for the week, and, judging from what I experienced this past Sunday (yesterday), this is going to be a fantastic week. The show I ended up at was as bright and beautiful as it was full of heart and passion. It was just what I needed to push thoughts of exhaustion and stress out of my head and replace them with something a bit more positive and optimistic.

I knew nothing about the headliner of Sunday night, but I was familiar with the opener, which is why this was my show of choice on Sunday night. The first time I saw Stephen Day was earlier this year at the 7th Street Entry. I had walked into that show knowing nothing about anything and left with an insane amount of love for this performer. His vocals were on point, but it was his charm that really captivated me, and I was thrilled to experience it all over again. The 7th Street Entry is a much more intimate spot than First Avenue (which is where this show on Sunday was), yet I still got the same amount of charm from Stephen. It definitely didn’t feel as up close and personal as it had in February, but I appreciated that it was the same kind of feeling. A feeling of sheer appreciation bounced between the audience and the stage, and vice versa, setting the stage for a truly touching set.

Stephen Day is like an old soul. His music has this almost old-school crooner type vibe to it, but at the same time, every song he and his amazing band performed on Sunday night felt fresh and modern. I love the way that there was clearly something so serious about his music. The words are raw and vulnerable, and the musicians who joined Stephen on stage were clearly all about the music, but at the same time, there was something slightly humorous about the set. I wish I had specific examples of this, but, honestly, I didn’t take notes. When you watch Stephen Day perform, you can’t do anything else. Even remembering to take a small video for my socials seemed to be a task, and I feel like my pictures from the opening set are lackluster at best, just because I felt so captivated by everything going on while. Most of the time, when this happens to me, it’s due to production value, but that was not the case here. There really was no production value when it came to Stephen Day’s set. It was just him, his band, and a whole lot of love being laid out on the stage, and it couldn’t have been more perfect.

Although Stephen Day was the draw for me as far as being at this show on Sunday night was concerned, the packed room was not there for Stephen only; they were there for Couch. This larger-than-life band, with a sound to match, hails from Boston, Massachusetts. Although I had never heard of them before this show, I was instantly intrigued as I saw an entire army take the stage. This isn’t your standard four-piece band; this is a bombastic seven-piece band, complete with a horn section, and each member seemingly having more energy than the last. I wish I could capture the feeling of positivity and radiance that took over the iconic First Avenue mainroom when this band took the stage, but I was honestly too lost in it to come up with the words for it in the moment, and they continue to elude me the morning after.

Sonically, Couch reminded me a lot of bands like Lawrence or Fitz and the Tantrums. Most of their songs hit like the perfect mix of bubblegum pop with indie-rock vibes, but, really, it was all over the place. They played infectious songs that had the audience dancing, followed quickly by my more tender ballads, which had the audience swooning. Between those, the band would throw in jazzy tracks that had this almost theatrical drama behind them. It was a cool blend of a lot of different styles and moods that I love, but it was the delivery of it all that had me sold. It didn’t matter what kind of song Couch was playing on Sunday night; they did it with such fierce energy behind every single note that it was impossible to watch this band and not at least crack a small smile.

Much like Stephen Day, the connection that Couch had with the audience was insane. Although it didn’t feel as intimate as what I felt from Stephen Day (surely because the show just felt a bit larger what with the insane lights and the non-stop energy that radiated from the stage), there was just something so real about everything that Couch did on stage and I loved the way that the audience clearly felt like they were part of the show. Isn’t that the point of a live concert? To feel like you’re part of something? I feel like that’s an aspect of live music that is often forgotten. Sure, it’s an escape from the real world. I’ll never deny that nor let that change, but ultimately, going to live music is like participating in your favorite band’s world. For one night and one night only, you are a member of their band. The member who dances and provides the harmonies (whether or not they are in key). You bring the music to life and reveal the human side of the words by letting them resonate with you in unspoken ways. This is nothing new, but I think that Couch’s performance was a perfect example of this playing out. Everyone in the audience was having a moment, and it added to the sheer power and beauty of my Sunday night.

This weekend was good overall. The shows were a little hit and miss, especially with the insane miss that was my Saturday night (you can read about it here), but I’m so glad that my weekend ended with Couch and Stephen Day at First Avenue. Not only was it the perfect exclamation point to an overall amazing weekend, it was the perfect way to get my week started off right.

Line Up:

Stephen Day

Couch

Venue: First Avenue

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 20

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Dance-ability- 9 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)-

Stephen Day – 1

Couch – 0

Overall Score –81 out of 10

Show on Deck —Babe Haven / Die Spitz

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