Girl at the Rock Shows

I should have written this review Friday afternoon, but the truth is, my day didn’t end when Bruce Springsteen strummed his final note. My day continued with a march, some rapid response, and then another show. I surely would have gotten more hits on this blog had I been one of the first to publish because, honestly, I have nothing new to say beyond what you’ve already heard and seen at this point but, at the same time, and as lovely as an event ‘Defend Minnesota!’ was at First Avenue on Friday, I had a community to look after and more photos to take so I (along with hundreds of other boots-to-the-ground local journalists) could show the world just how amazing Minneapolis and Minnesota is.

This Friday’s celebration was announced on Wednesday at noon. Tickets went on sale at the same time, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have to do a triple-take on the flyer. Tom Morello (of Rage Against the Machine fame), Rise Against, Al Di Meola, Ike Reilly, and a “very special guest”. It just didn’t feel real. How did First Avenue pull off such a line-up in such a short amount of time? Was this a joke? Then I realized. This was no joke. The country is looking at Minneapolis right now, and the country includes big names like the ones listed on this flyer. I panicked. I’m out of PTO at my day job, and although they have been super supportive of letting me go out and do my thing when I feel it’s necessary, I know there’s a point where they won’t support it anymore. I bought my ticket (with all proceeds going to the families of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. I threw caution to the wind and just prayed that my boss would understand. What’s that saying? ” Act now. Ask for mercy later?” I feel like I have been living that life for over a month now, and, thankfully, it worked out for me on Friday.

It was weird wandering into First Avenue at 11 AM on a Friday. The sun was still in the sky, and it made me see this iconic venue in a whole new light (quite literally). The blemishes on the walls, which have silver stars painted with the names of bands that had played the club in years gone by. The slight condensation on the windows due to the cold outside and the warm inside. I saw it all and that, right there, set the stage for just how special this event was. I wasn’t just staring at an iconic venue, the place where Prince played Purple Rain, the venue referenced by Macklemore, the venue that everyone talks about, the venue that everyone strives to be. No, I wasn’t looking at First Avenue, the venue; I was looking at First Avenue, the community. Say what you will about this local company. I know I have my own thoughts on them and the way they kind of run the scene here in the Twin Cities, what with all of the venues they own, but they know when this community is hurting and when it’s time to step up. To say they stepped up on Friday would be an understatement.

Friday’s show started with a personal favorite of mine, Ike Reilly. Ike may not be local, but it feels like he’s just a buddy from around town with how much he performs here and how connected he is to the local scene. Joined on stage by his son, Ike powered through a few acoustic songs that hit right to the heart. From the words he was singing to the words he said before even playing a single note, “This is the home of the brave!” the genuine heart and love that radiates from Ike was immeasurable. With only about fifteen/ twenty minutes to do his thing, Ike powered through the set but made sure that everyone in the room, whether you knew him or not, knew that he was with us. He may not live here in Minneapolis, but a part of his heart surely does.

Al Di Meola was never on my bucketlist but, holy heck, how have I been living my life so long without seeing this musical genius live? Al is a phenomenal guitarist. No, what’s a step up from phenomenal? Whatever it is, take that times a million and you end up at Al Di Meola. Al has played with everyone from Chick Corea to Miles Davis. He is all business, all talent but, on Friday, under the lights of First Avenue, he was all heart. He serenaded the audience with dizzying lines of notes. Some familiar like a nod to The Beatles, others completely original. Although it was quiet compared to Ike Reilly and what was to come for the rest of the show, it was just as impactful and beautiful.

Following Al was a couple of songs from two members of Rise Against. Vocalist Tim McIlrath and guitarist Zach Blair. They played my favorite songs from Rise Against, but that’s no surprise because those songs are political anthems. They tell the story of oppressed people, of people standing up, and of people fighting back. Those were the songs that this audience needed to hear– the songs that Minneapolis needed to hear– and although I would have loved to have heard them as a full band, something about the stripped-back versions made them hit deeper to the core.

Obviously, everyone was impatiently waiting for the next guest– the one and only Tom Morello. “Brothers and sisters, thank you for welcoming us to the Battle of Minneapolis.” That’s what he said first, and those words felt empowering in such a perfect way. Tom and his band members played through their set, which started with “Killing In The Name Of.” What a perfect anthem to kick things off with and really get the crowd going. It did the trick and, after the audience was all screaming, “Fuck you! I won’t do what you tell me!” they settled into the rest of Tom’s explosive set. Instead of just walking off the stage, Tom invited Ike Reilly, Joe Di Meola, and Rise Against back on stage for a sing-along to Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land.” It was such a powerful ending, and, honestly, the show could have ended there, and I would have been more than satisfied, but we still didn’t know who the special guest was– or did we?

Rumors had been flying since this show was announced on Wednesday as to who the special guest would be. Each name seemed more outlandish than the next. Was it going to be a whole Rage Against The Machine reunion? Was Eddie Vedder spotted downtown? Was this going to be a complete letdown in a way, and was the guest just going to be some local that we have all seen one too many times? Then the rumors really got outlandish. Bruce Springsteen just released his single “Streets of Minneapolis.” Although I felt that the song lacked a Boss-styled chutzpah, the message was powerful, and it has made this entire community feel seen. That being said, there was no way that Mr. New Jersey, Mr. America, The Boss was really going to show up at First Avenue, right?

When Springsteen took the stage, the screams were deafening. Again, we all knew it was a possibility, but come on, Bruce Springsteen just showed up at a club that only holds around 1550 people. When was the last time he played such an intimate space? He played through his new song alone before filling the stage back up for “The Ghost of Tom Joad” and a cover of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s “Power to the People”. What a fitting song to end on. What a fitting song to see so many greats take part in. Bruce Springsteen, Tom Morello, Al Di Meola, Rise Against, Ike Reilly– all on the same stage. All with the same message for Minneapolis– don’t stop, fuck ice, stay strong, and you are not alone.

As mentioned, directly after this show was done, I literally ran to my car, grabbed my camera bag and went back to the streets to do what I have been doing for over a month at this point. I’m exhausted. By the time I got home to re-set for my show on Friday night, I was beyond exhausted. My legs and face were frozen and the divet on my shoulder from where I hold my bag was deeper than it has ever been before but the words from everyone on that First Avenue stage on Friday were ringing through my head. Don’t stop, keep going, fuck ice, you’re not alone. We’re not alone, Minneapolis; we have the entire country watching and, like everyone said from the First Avenue stage, we are setting one hell of a precedent for how to act. We are doing exactly what we should be and other places around the country are taking notes.

Don’t stop.

Fuck Ice.