Girl at the Rock Shows

We all have our guilty pleasures when it comes to music that we listen to. My list is probably longer than most. From Pitbull to Justin Bieber, I have what I could call “impeccable music taste” but what others may call “crap.” I really don’t mind, but there are some bands and artists that I tend to listen to behind closed doors. Why is Hobo Johnson & The LoveMakers one of them? I honestly don’t know. Their music speaks to my soul, but at the same time, I feel like it’s almost shameful to like this kid’s music with how old I am. That didn’t stop me from going to their show on Wednesday night at The Fine Line, where I ended up getting so much more than I bargained for.

The show was advertised as just two acts: Hobo Johnson & The LoveMakers and Budman. So I was a little surprised when set times were announced and there was now a third slot in the night titled “open mic.” Obviously, we all know what an open mic is (at least I hope we all do), but I wasn’t sure how it would work at a show like this, so I hustled through some chores and made my way downtown just in time to catch the open mic portion of the night.

Hosted by Damien Verrett (who is part of The LoveMakers), this open mic was just like any open mic night. Kids got to the show early, threw their name in a hat, and prayed that they were one of the four acts chosen. It was completely random, but we got some truly stellar local talent on stage during this set of the night. From a classical guitarist, a poet, a pair of truly shining humans who sang a Lonely Island song, and all the way to the singer/guitarist of Dirty-930, I feel like Minneapolis’ local scene really shone, and I hope that Frank Lopes (AKA Hobo Johnson) was paying attention. The open mic set closed out with Damien Verrett playing a few of his own songs. They were soft and sweet, but definitely set the tone for the deafening amount of emotion that would persist throughout the rest of the night.

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t a massive fan of Budman., the next act to take the stage. That being said, he absolutely gave it his all and did a great job of getting the young audience warmed up and ready for what was to come next. When it came to Budman.’s style, I just felt that it was a little more abrasive and brash than I was in the mood for. The words of his raps, at times, made me feel a little comfortable and often revolved around things that I just could not relate to. All this said, I am not Budman.’s demographic. I’m just a bit too old and a bit too into heartfelt songs about things that make me go down dark and twisty roads in my head. The kids around me were the opposite. Budman.’s set seemed to act as thirty minutes of pure bliss where nothing else mattered. The world wasn’t going to shit outside the venue walls, and everything in life was just fun. Maybe Budman.’s music wasn’t quite my thing but this aspect of his set was so, although I won’t be running out to grab Budman.’s next album, I definitely would not be opposed to seeing him do his thing on a stage again.

Before I proceed, let me acknowledge that I am aware of the allegation against Frank Lopes from years ago. This is honestly probably one of the reasons that I tend to listen to his music behind closed doors. I am not at all trying to justify or minimize these allegations by writing this review (which, spoiler alert, is going to be a positive one). I am just trying to do my job– reviewing a concert, so that’s what I’ll do.

Like I mentioned, Hobo Johnson & The LoveMakers is one of my guilty pleasures when it comes to music. I fell in love with this group when I stumbled upon their 2018 Tiny Desk submission. It was one of the most raw things I had ever seen, and the lyrics spoke to me on a super deep level. Musically speaking, it was nothing new. Spoken-word styled lyrics over minimal but catchy instrumentation- but it was the delivery that had me shook. Something about frontman Frank Lopes felt as accessible as it did painfully real. I watched with big eyes as he messed up here, seemed to have a mini breakdown there, and, throughout, didn’t seem to hide his anxiety, nerves, or anything else. Frank was real and I was real hooked. I went down a rabbit hole that year and obsessed over everything that I could find from Hobo Johnson & The LoveMakers. Songs like “Peach Scone” and “Romeo & Juliet” became instant favorites, and although my relationship with Hobo Johnson hasn’t been as solid as it has with other acts, anytime one of his songs starts playing, I feel a sense of excitement and love like it was the first time I was hearing this music.

That was the same feeling I got as Frank Lopes and his band took the stage on Wednesday night. Although I’ve never met Frank or any other member of this band, I instantly felt a sense of comfort when I set eyes on them. That comfort only deepened as they opened their set with “Mover Awayer.” The set didn’t last long, only about a dozen songs and an hour in length, but, within the first couple of songs, I felt emotionally drained. I feel like, by letting the music of this band take me over and hearing the lyrics in person, I had lived a million lives in just the blink of an eye, and it was exactly what I wanted. I would spout off some of the lines that really got me from the set on Thursday night, but ultimately, if I got going, there would be no stopping me. This is what I love about Hobo Johnson the most- the words. They are simple words tied together in typical ways, but the way that Frank presents them with an almost nervous energy mixed with raw emotion makes them feel nothing short of spectacular.

I was not the only one who was utterly lost in the words and music of Hobo Johnson & The LoveMakers. The entire audience around me seemed to be having the same kind of religious experience. Although this is nothing new and something that I see at many shows, there was something slightly different about this one. This was an all-ages show, so you had a lot of teens and young twenty-somethings jumping about to the songs, but you also had an older demographic, closer to my age, clearly getting lost in their feelings and thoughts. I loved this because, for the first time in a hot minute, I was surrounded by people who felt this music the same way I did. I didn’t have to joke off my love for it or feel like I had to say something to justify why I like it so much. I just had to stand there and take every word in deep into my soul, so that’s exactly what I did with a smile on my face.

We all have guilty pleasures when it comes to music, but why do they have to be guilty? If a particular band or song speaks to you and makes you feel something, why hide it? In a world that seems to be constantly trying to numb us due to the overwhelming darkness that happens every day, let’s all just let ourselves enjoy little things like songs that make us smile and make us feel a sense of comfort that we can’t find elsewhere.

Line-Up:

Damien Verrett

Budman.

Hobo Johnson & The LoveMakers

Venue: Fine Line

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 18

Crowd Surfers – None

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 3 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- 1

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)-

Damien Verrett – 0

Budman. – 0

Hobo Johnson – 2

Overall Score –7.8 out of 10

Show on Deck —Mama Hellcats (feat. Annie Enneking / Smanatha Grimes / Nikki Lemire / Katy Tessman and so many more) // The Long Honeymoon / Famous Vocalnoes / Barking at Ghosts

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