Girl at the Rock Shows

It’s no surprise that touring acts seem to avoid Minnesota in the winter. The weather can be a bit unpredictable, and the last thing a band wants is to get stranded up here during a snowstorm or ice storm and have to cancel other tours. Some people look at this trend and say that live music is dead in the winter because of it, but I look at this trend and get excited because it means venues fill up with more local showcases this time of year than any other. Saturday night was one of these showcases, and it was also the album release party for a beloved local band.

Although this was absolutely a release show for a beloved band, all the bands that played are beloved, including the opening act, Nona Invie. This was the only name on the line-up that I had never heard of before, after talking to a fellow photographer just a couple of minutes before the show, I couldn’t help but get excited. Nona Invie may not have been a familiar name to me, but their work is absolutely something I knew. They have worked with everyone from Dark Dark Dark to LOW, along with various other amazing local acts. This had me excited to enter Nona Invie’s world, but I didn’t expect to get so lost in it. The music on Nona Invie was a bit like The Nunnery but electronic. The Nunnery isn’t a household name (although it should be), so I know this may not help you understand the sound, but it was beautiful. It was soft but with some angular tones that stood out like shards of glass. It felt like there was a delicate dance being done around these shards of glass with a sense of restraint and creativity reigning supreme throughout the set. I was definitely in the mood for something a bit more ramped up and rowdy (and covering the excitement happening upstairs at the First Avenue Mainroom didn’t help that), but there’s no denying that Nona Invie had me lost in their world, and it was a world that I was sad to leave when all was said and done.

The last time I saw Kiernan, the next band, perform, I admitted that they aren’t “my band.” I hate that I wrote those words because now that I’ve seen Kiernan perform a couple of times, I just can not get enough of them. Their indie-pop-rock sounds are as beautiful as they are emotive. What really catches me about this song is the way that, although I would absolutely classify them as an indie-pop-rock band, there are these subtle nods to everything from country to folk. It’s a cool little twist to a sound that has been done over and over again, and it’s what really puts this band on the map for me. Another thing that stands out to me is the sensitive nature of this band, but how some words can cut like a knife. Vocalist Laura Kiernan knows exactly what she’s doing. She knows when to drive a certain word or phrase right into your heart and knows when to let them just dance above the beautiful instrumentation of the band. It creates an almost rollercoaster ride of a set with moments that make you feel an insane amount of emotion, followed by moments that just make you so happy to be where you are with who you are there with.

As mentioned, Saturday night at the 7th Street Entry wasn’t just a killer local showcase, it was also a celebration for bathtub cig and their new EP, ‘You Can Smoke If It’s Hospice.’ This release is a companion record to their last album, ‘Good Mourning, I Love You.’ I’ll be honest, I haven’t spent much time with that album, but that didn’t change the way that bathtub cig’s music hit me on Saturday night. Like the previous two acts, there’s something super chill about this band’s music. It’s indie folk, but it’s so much more chill than that. It’s almost depressive, and their music seems to revolve around themes of being human- the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful. The way this band can capture what it’s like to be human and turn it into songs is something I will never quite understand, but will always admire and crave.

Although their sound is slightly depressive and very soft, there’s a grit that comes through each song. Some of that grit comes through certain lines of notes or certain subtle crescendos hidden within their songs, but the majority of it comes from just watching the members of this band. I love the fact that bathtub cig is one of those bands that clearly takes what they do so seriously, but, at the same time, clearly have fun with it. The number of smiles shot back and forth across the stage between the band members really added a bit of personality to the set, making them the kind of band that almost feels too cool. Like, how are these real people this talented and also this genuine and sweet? Okay, maybe this is me fan girling a wee bit, but come on, we’ve all seen those bands that may have a sound that’s a bit more chill than you’re used to, yet they instantly have you falling head over heels in love with them because of this display of charm. That’s bathtub cig.

There was one other aspect outside the music that I would be remiss not to mention before letting you go on with your day, and that’s the attention to detail these bands brought to this show. I’m not just talking about the performances; I am talking about the set design. Let’s be honest, the 7th Street Entry is just a dark venue with a black curtain in the back. Nothing super special or spectacular, but these bands changed that with simple touches like a small backdrop with colorful gems scattered across it and Disco balls of varying lengths and sizes hanging from the ceiling. Again, super small additions to the otherwise dark venue, but it made all the difference. IT just added that special sauce and that little extra razzle-dazzle, making this night move from a stellar night of local music to a dazzling showcase of local talent.

Line Up:

Nona Invie

Kiernan

bathtub cig

Venue: 7th Street Entry

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 37

Crowd Surfers- 0

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)-

Nona Invie – 0

Kiernan – 2

bathtub cig – 1

Show on Deck — Wremix Featuring Gully Boys

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