Girl at the Rock Shows

I love living in a city where there are two top-notch venues just steps apart. First Avenue is legendary, but, for me, the more intimate 7th Street Entry right next door is one of my favorite venues to be at. I love catching up-and-coming acts and seeing local music showcases. There was an insane and amazing show happening at First Avenue on Wednesday, but also a local line-up that I was super interested in seeing at the Entry. Again, these venues are just steps away from each other, so, being the live music addict I am, I decided to cover both shows. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned.

Things started off perfectly with Sassafras. This local band was brand-new to me, but by the end of their first song, I was in love and wondering where this band had been all my life. There’s no denying that the kids in this band are young, but that just added to the thrill of their set for me. Although young, their sound was polished, and they came across as storied musicians with years of stage experience under their belts. Don’t get me wrong, there wasn’t much razzle or dazzle to their set. The four members of this band just kind of stood there and played their set, but there was something so perfect about it. Sonically, this band fell into some space between alt-rock and something a bit more Midwest emo feeling. The lyrics were emotive, and the drums hit hard, creating an all-consuming sound that left me completely obsessed.

Following Sasssafras was berzica– another local band I knew nothing about when I walked into this show, but one that I instantly fell head over heels for. This band leaned way more into a shoegazey sound. That’s not typically my thing, but there was something about what berzica did with this sound that intrigued me. There was so much power behind their sound. Don’t get me wrong, it was soft and, at times, almost had this ambient kind of quality to the guitar work and angelic vocals that layered on top of said guitars and the drums, but, at other times, there was an undeniable sense of grit and power that came from this band. The typically soft and lush soundscape was interrupted by angles and angst in such a perfect way. Those moments became highlights of sorts to berzica’s stunning set. Like Sassafras, I don’t know where this young band has been all my life, but I am so very glad to have them in my local band arsenal now.

Amateur Hour was up next, and I was so excited to see this band again for the first time in a hot minute. Amateur Hour hooked me the first time I saw them in November 2023. Although I’ve had a few chances to see them since then, I’ve only been able to catch them once more until Wednesday night. It’s been a few years, but this band hasn’t changed. Don’t let the name fool you, this band is far from Amateur. I mean, just look at the sponsors they had for Wednesday night’s show. Everyone from Prime to Palantir. Okay, that’s a joke and a poorly scripted one that the band played throughout the night. Between songs, they would do a little pitch for their “sponsors” that included the band reading from a literal script. It was cheesy, sure, but it was also freaking hilarious. Add the perfection with which this band seems to always perform, and you are left with a stunning show of local talent.

Musically, Amateur Hour was the most “up my alley” kind of band when it came to Wednesday night’s 7th Street Entry show. It was very punk but with Midwest emo tendencies. The vocals, like the words, were raw while the instrumentation behind said words remained energized and perfectly crafted. I loved how, depending on your mood, you could either fall into the emotional catharsis that was their lyrics and vocals or, if you were in the mood to rage a little, you could bounce around to their infectious beats. Although perfectly crafted and curated, there’s still something almost DIY feeling about Amateur Hour that keeps their sets feeling spicy. From the aforementioned script about their many “sponsors” to just how they somehow seemed to break down the wall between stage and audience without saying anything to indicate they were doing so, there was just something fresh and youthful about Amateur Hour’s set on Wednesday night.

Smooth sailing up until now, but here’s when my night took a turn. My timing for the night was a delicate dance. It was working well, and even though I was balancing two shows and eight bands in total, the fact that set times had been shared out earlier in the day meant it was low-stress. Somehow, the timing for these two shows had worked out so that I could see most of everyone’s set rather than just catching a song or two in one room before moving to the other. I knew in my heart just one little shift in the timing, and this master plan was all over. I got a bit nervous as Amateur Hour seemed to finish their set in record time, but figured that headlining act jonger would just take their time setting up, so, as planned, I made my way back up to First Avenue’s mainroom to catch the headliner of that show. After just a couple of songs, I made my way back to the 7th Street Entry, ready to see what jonger has been up to lately, as it has been far too long since I’ve seen them live. I was confused when I walked into the more intimate venue and saw that the house lights were on. I double-checked my timing. It was 10:04. jonger had been slated to start at 9:45. Did they really only play a twenty-minute set? Apparently, yes and no. Their set was short, but the issue was that, instead of waiting until their scheduled time, jonger took the stage early, so I had completely missed their set. My heart sank. I felt terrible. Maybe this was karma for my addiction, or maybe this was just one of those off nights for me. Either way, my biggest apologies to jonger. I owe you kids, one!

Although my Wednesday night at the 7th Street Entry didn’t go quite as planned, it was an amazing showing of local talent. I’m stoked to now have Sassafras and berzica as bands on my “watch list.” Seeing Amateur Hour again was a good reminder of how much I love that band and how I need to see them sooner rather than later. And although it sucked missing all of jonger on Wednesday night, that just means I’ll have to catch them at another local showcase soon!

Line Up:

Sassafras

berzica

Amateur Hour

jonger

Venue: 7th Street Entry

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 22

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 1 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)-

Sassafras – 0

berzica – 0

Amateur Hour – 2

jonger – 1

Show on Deck —Cattle Decapitation / Aborted / Frozen Soul / Tribal Gaze

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