Girl at the Rock Shows

It was just another Saturday for lots of people out there, but for about 350 lucky souls, this Saturday will never be forgotten. Yeah, being at a show at noon at The Turf Club in Saint Paul wasn’t on my Bingo card for 2025, but this was an opportunity I wasn’t about to miss.

When The Format announced that they were coming back from the dead and starting to play shows again, I freaked out. I checked out their tour dates and did the math. I wanted to go see them, but the money just wasn’t there. I thought about calling the parents, asking friends, anything I could do to get to one of the limited shows they were going to be playing this year, but it just wasn’t in the cards. I wanted to relive my teenage years when The Format were kings of the scene, but I realized that just wasn’t going to be the reality. I got over it. I moved on and tried to push it out of my head, but then The Format flipped the script on me and announced a super-intimate, acoustic show at The Turf Club, sponsored by The Current. I fought for tickets. I entered the raffle. I put all the odds in my favor, but it didn’t work. I was disappointed, but it was a familiar feeling after not being able to make the other shows work out, and I figured there would be a point next year when my path would cross with The Format, assuming they kept playing out. Fast forward to just two weeks ago. The show was still on my mind and, without a ticket, I shot my shot as far as covering the performance. The odds were finally in my favor, and I had a golden ticket. To say that I was excited would be an understatement, and to say that waiting in the cold to get through the doors of the Turf Club was far less painful than it should have been, given the sub-zero temperatures, would also be an understatement. I was ready and excited for what this mid-day show was going to bring not only to my ears, but to my soul.

Before the sold-out audience was treated to the sheer nostalgia that was an acoustic performance from The Format, we got the treat of seeing Dan Boeckner perform a quick acoustic set. Dan is best known as one of the frontmen of Wolf Parade, but has been part of many other projects, from Handsome Furs to Spoon. Although I was not familiar with Dan’s work prior to seeing this opening set, I was instantly in love. He was fun and full of life, but also raw and honest. He explained that this short run of shows was really the first time he had ever been on stage with just his voice and guitar, but I have to be honest, I don’t know if I believe him. The strength of Dan’s vocals was staggering. I’m not saying they were overpowering; they were perfect, but they were strong. It was the kind of strength that only comes from years of doing this in front of massive crowds, and I love how Dan adapted that to this more intimate, daytime setting.

I didn’t recognize the songs that Dan played. Some in the audience clearly did, as there were many people singing along to every word, but I was not one of those people. I was part of the other half of the room that was just straight-up enamored by Dan’s talent and his words. I’ll be honest: after doing the radio show I co-host this morning, and with two shows on the docket later in the day, I was kind of annoyed by the idea of an opener for this show. I mean, come on, it was noon. That’s prime work and nap time for me on the weekends. That being said, I feel like Dan really brought something to this show that it needed, and it was something that I was so happy and genuinely honored to experience.

The Format was never a household name. They should have been, but I feel like they never reached the height and glory that they were destined for. Never heard of them? Seriously, I’m not shocked, but maybe you’ve heard of frontman Nate Ruess’ other band- fun. The Format was pre-fun. They were a band that formed in 2002 and took over the emo/pop-punk scene in a way. Their sound was unique. It was definitely in the pop-punk vein and fit super well with old-school HelloGoodbye songs, but at the same time, the influence of retro pop made it something completely unique and new. They carved a path through the scene like wildfire and, although their career lasted only about 6 years, they won over the hearts of many kids like me.

Fast forward to now. Other than a short attempt at a reunion back in 2020, which was ultimately cancelled due to the pandemic, things in The Format camp have been pretty quiet until lately. New music started coming out, and then the tour announcement was supplemented with smaller and more intimate shows like the one on Saturday. I’m not sure what changed for this band or why they decided that now was the time to come back, but I know I am forever grateful for the decision.

Outside of the sun shining through the windows, everything felt right about this show. Nate’s super distinct vocals soared over the more indie-rock leaning instrumentation of the rest of the band with ease. That being said, there was no ignoring anyone who was on the stage on Saturday. It may have been years since this band was really “a thing,” but you couldn’t tell that with the way they performed on Saturday. The members were having fun; you could feel the magic and the spark that only comes with musicians who truly love to do what they are doing. What I’m trying to say is that the energy, enhanced by the nostalgia-seekers in the audience, was electrifying (and that word just doesn’t sound strong enough, but it’s the best I’ve got right now).

The setlist (that lasted about thirteen songs) wasn’t enough, but, then again, nothing would have ever been enough. This band only put out two full-length albums (with one in the works) and a smattering of other releases. Because of the lack of material, I feel like every song this band has ever released has become a fan favorite. There was no way the band was going to play through everything, but they did a good job of not only mixing the hits with the b-sides but also mixing the upbeat songs with the heartbreak anthems that defined a generation. Even if they had played through absolutely everything out there, I think people would have still hung around after the show, hoping to hear all of the songs just one more time. As I said, there was never going to be enough.

I could clearly keep going about this show. I could tell you about how full my heart was to hear the songs of years gone by and how amazing it was to sing along to songs that used to mean the world to me, but ended up getting lost in the mess that is life. I could tell you the ex-boyfriends I associated certain songs with or the few times I had the honor of seeing The Format back in their first heyday. I have a lot to say, but ultimately, this show was for me. Okay, it wasn’t just for me, but it was for the lucky ones who scored a ticket to this once-in-a-lifetime event, and it was an event that no words will ever do justice for.

What a way to kick off a Saturday.

Line Up:

Dan Boeckner

The Format

Venue: Turf Club

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 36

Crowd Surfers – None

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)-

Dan Boeckner – 0

The Format – Maybe 2 or 3 when I was younger

Overall Score –11 out of 10

Show on Deck — The Big Wu / Kiss The Tiger // Ekoh / Arankai

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