Girl at the Rock Shows

The Twin Cities have a lot of amazing venues, but there are some in the suburbs that I feel like are super underrated. The Myth is one of those. I know that it’s not everyone’s favorite place to see live music, but I honestly don’t know why. Sure, it’s a small jaunt from the Twin Cities to Maplewood, but for me, it’s a straight shot down the freeway. It’s easy to get to and, here’s the big one, has free parking if you know how to play their game (meaning you can park in the Maplewood mall parking lot for free rather than paying to park directly in the Myth’s parking lot, which sometimes has a fee). I don’t hate it, and I feel like, over the years, the sound and overall atmosphere of this venue have only gotten better. That said, this place isn’t known for supporting the local scene. It’s a big space, so they typically only open for larger shows, but on Sunday night, The Myth opened its doors for a banger of a local show. I was stoked and hope that The Myth saw that, even with subzero temperatures and it being just before the holidays get into full swing, people came out and supported not only the bands, but the venue as well.

Kicking things off was a personal favorite of mine- Den of Thieves. This local band took the stage promptly at 4:30 PM and instantly brought a sense of exquisite heaviness to the room. It was everything I would have expected from this band and more. Although I have seen them a few times, I feel like they never cease to leave me utterly impressed with their distinct brand of brutality and flawless delivery of said intensity, with Sunday afternoon being no different. I loved hearing some of the classics from this band, and I also loved hearing songs that may have been new, since I didn’t recognize some of them. I’ll be the first to admit that I haven’t spent a lot of time with Den Of Thieves’ debut album, ‘Natus EsDolore’, so I couldn’t tell you exactly how many new vs. old songs they played but do know that between some of the unfamiliar songs and the mention of a new album in the works has me super excited about what 2026 will bring for this band.

Although VIA has been around for a long time (they formed in 2013), Sunday was my first live experience with them. I’ll be honest, their music isn’t quite for me. It bridges a bit too far into the hard-rock vein of things, but I will say that this band has truly honed in on their sound to the point where their performance, although delayed due to technical difficulties, had me sold. Sure, I wasn’t super into the music, but I loved picking up on the tenderness that this band clearly crafts every song with. Don’t get me wrong, their brand of rock n’ roll is heavy and dirty, but there was this sparkle of care that I got especially from the vocals that kept pulling me deeper and deeper into VIA’s world. After seeing them and feeling their magic, I feel like it’s safe to say that they are a painfully underrated bright spot in the local rock n’ roll scene. I know that VIA has been around for a hot minute, and they are grinding their way through this local scene, which is never a super fun time, but I hope they keep it up because this is a band that, although not my typical cup of tea, I would love to see more of.

Sunday was also my first time witnessing Evernorth. Sonically, this band was definitely a bit more up my alley than VIA. Their sound blended deathcore-style vibes with an almost retro-feeling metal taste. It was a cool blend that, although it had super familiar elements, felt wholly fresh and innovative as a whole. The audience was excited throughout this show. You could feel that. But something seemed to amp up as Evernorth powered through their set. The previously stagnant audience started moving around, and at one point, there was even a stage diver (though I’m pretty sure he was a plant, as he had a GoPro-style camera strapped to his chest to capture the moment). I loved how, although another super intense sound, there was something super fun about Evernorth’s set. I want to expand on that, but I feel like it was one of those things you just had to witness for yourself. I just don’t have all of the right words to describe the contrast I felt or how perfect it was, but trust me, it made for a stellar set.

Here’s where my night took a bit of a turn. I had been photographing this show from the photo pit for every band, but when it came time for the next act, By The Thousands, to take the stage, I was not let into the photo pit. Apparently, I didn’t have the right credentials. I had asked about a special wristband or sticker when walking into the venue, but was told there wasn’t one. Apparently, my camera was enough to get into the pit but not for the last two bands of the night. I’ll be honest, I was a bit annoyed, and it definitely triggered my anxiety. I’m not here to blame the venue or here to blame the bands, as I don’t know whose decision it was to all of a sudden change the game on the photo pit thing, but, again, my anxiety had been triggered, and the rest of my night just felt a bit off.

Thankfully, next up, as mentioned, was By The Thousands, and this band always brings me a sense of comfort and calmness, even with how heavy and intense their music can get. I know that I just covered this band a couple of weeks ago at Amsterdam Bar & Hall in Saint Paul, and I know I’ve covered them countless times before that, so I promise not to keep you long, but, seriously, if you’re not paying attention to this local band, you need to change that. Every time they step on a stage, there’s a sense of flawless perfection that rings through the speakers along with a staggering amount of energy that radiates from the stage. Sunday night’s performance was no different, but it came with some surprises, including Louis Hamel (the original singer of By The Thousands) coming out for a song.

Closing out Sunday’s festivities was the one and only Nuisance. The last time I saw Nuisance was back in 2016, but I’m not proud of that. This band is low-key legendary in the local scene. They have been around for ages and have a sound that sets them apart from everyone else in the local scene. That sound, like the sound of VIA, isn’t quite for me. It’s nu-metal meets rap-rock meets hard rock. That being said, it’s so expertly done, and I love the way that although this band has a million things happening sonically through every song they perform, you can hear all of the parts clearly and really feel the creativity and talent that is put into this band. Unfortunately, my anxiety was through the roof at this point, and I feel like it really dampened Nuisance’s set for me, but thankfully, I am just one person. Everyone else who had stuck around was clearly excited to see these local legends and wasn’t going to let a second of Nuisance’s set be wasted.

Sunday night had its ups and downs for me, but the best part of the night was talking to friends in some of these bands and hearing their excitement about being able to play on The Myth’s large stage. Although I didn’t quite get it, they explained to me that this stage was a bit of a white whale for them. Not only is this a large venue, but it’s a venue that hasn’t been super involved in the local scene, so a lot of locals have just written it off. Sure, it wasn’t packed to the brim with people, but it was a good turnout given the freezing temperatures and the close proximity to the holidays. I don’t know if the point of Sunday night was to open this venue’s eyes to the idea of doing more shows like this, but I hope that’s what happened.

Line Up:

Den of Thieves

VIA

Evernorth

By The Thousands

Nuisance

Venue: The Myth

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 41

Crowd Surfers- 1

Stage Divers- 1

Mosh-ability- 4 out of 10

Amount of Beer Spilled On Me While Walking Around- $0

Broken Bones- None Noticed

Spotted Flying Through The Air- 1 Body

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)-

Den of Thieves – 2

VIA – 0

Evernorth – 0

By The Thousands – 19

Nuisance – 2

Show on Deck — Andra Suchy / Molly Maher / DJ Winnerbowzer

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