Girl at the Rock Shows

I know that I named this blog “Girl at the Rock Shows,” but, in case you haven’t caught on yet, I do so much more than just rock shows. I love to mix it up when it comes to the kind of music I go and cover, so I was excited to go to The Fine Line on Friday night, knowing only that this was not going to be just like every other rock show that I cover.

I last caught L.A. Buckner & BiG HOMiE when they played at First Avenue’s Best New Bands last January. Although I knew who L.A. Buckner was (we actually went to the same college), I haven’t spent much time with his music outside of that fateful night last January. What a mistake that was, but what a nice reminder seeing him and his band, BiG HOMiE, on Friday night was, as far as recognizing the sheer amount of talent there is in this town. Stylistically, L.A. Buckner & Big HOMiE’s sound is this cool blend of funk, jazz, gospel, and hip-hop with a slew of other styles hidden in the mix. The first thing that will always strike me about this band is the tightness with which they play. Although this is a fairly large band with six members making up their unique sound, there’s something so organized and perfect about their sound. Every note has a place, and every instrument has a tone. All of those notes and tones come together to create a harmonious escape from the real world, and, with how nutty things have been in this world lately, it was just what I needed.

I’ll be honest, I find instrumental music hard to write about. I’m such a lyrics lady and tend to lean into the words of songs to really help guide how I feel about a set. L.A. Buckner & BiG HOMiE have no words in their songs, but I loved how certain lines of notes felt like words. Maybe it was the obvious, like a line of notes from the sax or a string of keys from the keyboard, but there were also drum patterns that told a story in a way, or at least created a story in my mind. I won’t bore you with all of the storylines that were flying through my head throughout their opening set on Friday night but will say, again, the journeys that this band took me on were just what I needed to not only close out my busy week, but set me up for success when it comes to this weekend that is going to be absolutely insane.

All of those same words can be said about the headliner of the night- Ghost-Note. It was more original music situated in the funk and jazz scene, but with tendencies that leaned into nearly every other genre in existence. Made up of members of Snarky Puppy and musicians who have played with everyone from Prince to Kendrick Lamar, there’s really no way to put the talent of Ghost-Note into words, but let me try. Not only was this another set where the tightness and cleanliness of the sound were downright jaw-dropping, but this was a set where I feel like you could hear the musicians of the group play with innovation. Sure, some of the sounds and lines of notes felt familiar and comfortable, but there were other moments during their set where things felt completely fresh and foreign. Maybe it was the key signature they were playing in, or maybe it was the way they would push and pull the tempo; there were a million things happening, but even during those more foreign-feeling moments, there was a groove, and that groove had me wanting to dance late into the night. Don’t worry, I didn’t embarrass myself by trying to dance, but I did get a kick out of watching everyone else in the audience just let loose a little bit.

It wasn’t just the funky-fresh sound of this band that had me sold; it was their energy. I’m not talking about the obvious energy that happened when the band would do call-and-response moments with the audience; I’m talking about the energy that reigned supreme throughout the night. Ghost-Note is not a new band. They have been doing their thing for years, on top of many of the members working with other projects, yet you could feel that every single member of this band was truly stoked to be on the Fine Line stage on Friday night. Sure, the music was written out, and there was a plan for what was going to happen when it came to their setlist, yet there was something so organic and almost improvised feeling about their set. Is this just me reading into it a bit too far and maybe assuming things based on my limited knowledge of this jazzy-funk genre? Quite possibly, but it was truly so fun to watch musicians on stage having fun and clearly living their best lives while giving the packed audience a fun night at the same time. I couldn’t tell if the band was doing it for themselves or for the audience, but I know that there wasn’t a single soul who left The Fine Line on Friday night unsatisfied.

Going to rock shows is fun. Going to see music you know and can sing along to is cathartic, but I dare you to go to a show you know nothing about in a genre you don’t spend much time with. It’ll open your eyes to a whole new world while giving you an escape from the nasty world we are living in. Long story short, Friday night at The Fine Line with L.A. Buckner & BiG HOMiE and Ghost-Note was just what I needed.

Line Up:

L.A. Buckner & BiG HOMiE

Ghost-Note

Venue: Fine Line

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 42

Crowd Surfers – None Spotted

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 0 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)-

L.A. Buckner & BiG HOMiE – 2

Ghost-Note – 0

Overall Score –8.1 out of 10

Show on Deck — The Format / Dan Boeckner

Shameless Self Promotion:

Join My Patreon Here!

Buy Me a Coffee (Seriously!)

Check out my playlist HERE!