Girl at the Rock Shows

Having my family in town for a few days has been great, but by the time Friday night rolled around, I was ready to get away. I think we all get to that point. That point where, although lovely to spend time with loved ones, you just want to feel a sense of normalcy, and, for me, normalcy comes in the form of live music. After an amazing home-cooked meal with my dad, step-mom, brother, sister-in-law, and beautiful baby niece, I bounced out the door (at least as much as I could bounce after eating my weight in homemade enchiladas, salsa, and guacamole) and made my way to The Fine Line in downtown Minneapolis.

After a couple of drinks with friends and a short delay, REIKI took the stage. I adore REIKI. When people ask me who I’m most excited about when it comes to the local music scene, REIKI’s name instantly pops into my mind. I love the way that his set feels like seeing multiple acts. You get to see a soulful man with the voice of an angel, but it ramps up throughout his sets into a more Bob Vylan-esque explosion of angst and power. Although that ramp-up happened on Friday night, it was abbreviated. Unfortunately, doing shows on a holiday weekend can be hit-or-miss when it comes to the masses coming out to see the show. Friday night’s show was not as full as the performers, or I would have hoped for, and REIKI pushed his set back a bit to wait and see if more people would come out. That, mixed with some technical difficulties, meant that he only had time for a few songs. I still got to see the evolution of his sound, which has always made him a standout for me, and I still got a taste of his heart and passion that come through with every track, but it just felt rushed, and part of the spark had been dampened by the lighter-than-expected audience.

Hard_R didn’t let the lack of an audience get the best of him. Sure, more people had found their way into the downtown club by the time he took the stage, but it was still far from a sold-out show. You wouldn’t have been able to tell that if you were in front for Hard_R’s time on stage. His raps were fast and furious, but that made sense as soon as I put it together that this is the song of the headlining act, P.O.S. I almost didn’t bring that up in this article because Hard_R is very much his own talent, but there was something about his set that felt influenced by his dad’s talent. It had the same kind of flow, the same kind of ferocity, but also the same kind of playfulness. All that being said, again, Hard_R was his own man on stage. He held his own and instantly had the audience sold on him. It was so great to see a new-to-me talent in the local rap scene because it’s honestly been a hot minute since that happened, and I can’t wait to see what comes next for this young man.

Reviewing your friends is hard. I was first introduced to Dwynell Roland back in 2016 when I saw him open for Prof at The Cabooze. I instantly fell in love with him and would try to catch this local rapper every chance I could. Fast forward to just a couple of years ago, and I was sitting at a local bar up the street from my house. I turned around, and there he was, Dwynell Roland. I was star-struck and a bit confused, but didn’t question why this local legend was hanging out at a little rink-dink cowboy-themed bar in the suburbs. Through the years, he has turned into a buddy, and that makes reviewing his performances without bias a bit hard. Thankfully for me, this young man kills it every time he’s on stage, so, bias or not, if you ask me, Dwynell Roland absolutely killed it on Friday night. His raps are severe and staccato in feeling, but, at the same time, they have an irresistible flow. Beyond his clear talent for the game is the way he interacted with the crowd. Dwynell Roland isn’t afraid to boogie a little bit, and although those are the dance moves that always make me laugh, they are also the moves that seem to make everyone in the audience so comfortable and engaged. Dwynell Roland is a superstar, but when watching him, it’s like you’re just watching your friend on stage, and you want to share in the feeling of joy he brings, so that’s exactly what the crowd did.

That engaging feeling was only amplified as P.O.S. took over the stage. Like Dwynell, P.O.S. is a legend in the local scene. From his work with Doomtree, Marijuana Deathsquads, Shredders, and Gayngs (among many other projects) to his solo stuff, P.O.S. has been a staple in the scene for decades, and although there have been some bumps in the road for him, there has been no stopping him. On Friday night, we got a little taste of what he’s been up to. We got to hear some new music, but also got to hear some classics from the local hip-hop genius. Regardless of whether it was a new song or an older classic, P.O.S served every song with his signature cheesy smile and an insane amount of personality. He joked and interacted with the audience in such an organic way. Do you ever see a performer and just know that this is what that person was born to do? That’s the case with P.O.S, and seeing him perform live is always a thrill.

The night ended with a collaborative set between P.O.S and Dwynell Roland. This show was an album release show for ‘Relay Relay!!’, a follow-up EP to their collaborative EP ‘RELAY’, which came out last year. The two men, with the help of Casey and Yata behind the computers and production of the songs, played through the new EP with a sense of fury and passion. Okay, I’ve said those two words a lot in this review, but that’s truly the best way to describe the set. Although these two performers have very different styles, they melt together so perfectly, creating a sound that is catchy and infectious but also harsh and intense at the same time. When you add in the way these two men interact with the crowd, you are left with a perfect and harmonious collaboration that should have been happening for years. I’ll be honest, by the time this final set took place, I was out of reviewer mode and had shifted into just enjoying the show, so, although I’m sure there’s so much more to say here, I just don’t have the words. I put my camera away early and just enjoyed the magic, which was closed out by the exclamation point of seeing them perform “Get Down” (a P.O.S original) with the help of Sims (of Doomtree fame).

The local hip-hop scene is one of the first scenes I fell into when I moved to the Twin Cities nearly twenty years ago. Although some of the players have changed, the feeling of the local Twin Cities rap and hip-hop scene has not changed. It’s something as celebratory as it is welcoming, and that was put in the spotlight on Friday night at The Fine Line.

Line Up:

REIKI

Hard_R

Dwynell Roland

P.O.S

Venue: Fine Line

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 28

Crowd Surfers – None Spotted

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 6 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)-

REIKI – 3

Hard_R – 0

Dwynell Roland – 9

P.O.S – 9

Overall Score –8.6 out of 10

Show on Deck — The Home Team / Arrows in Action / Makari / SIFYN

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