Girl at the Rock Shows

Drummers were still cleaning up from their act of resistance that took place throughout downtown Minneapolis on Monday night when I arrived at First Avenue for my show. I had spent some time documenting the 60+ drummers who had taken over downtown for a noise demonstration a bit earlier in the day, and I was so in love with my city. Instead of seeing corners, I saw stages. There was something so beautifully powerful about it and, although documenting this amazing event meant I had to forgo on my daily nap (which, pro tip, is how I do this night after night), the feeling that I had gotten earlier in the day kept me going and had me so excited to be out regardless of how tired and cold I was. That excitement was only emphasized when the house lights in the iconic First Avenue main room went down, and the first band took the stage.

I’ve seen Wednesday 13 before, but it’s been years. Honestly, the horrorcore scene that this act runs in is one that I fell out of but still absolutely cherish. Maybe horrorcore isn’t quite the right way to describe the music of Wednesday 13, but it’s the best I can come up with right now. Sonically, Wednesday 13 is an edgy hard rock with an industrial backdrop that seems to emphasize the darkness of the sound. Throw in a slight glam rock aspect and a huge Marilyn Manson kind of influence, and you are left with the divine and theatrical Wednesday 13. When it came to what was coming through the speakers, Wednesday 13 and his band were on point, but that wasn’t the takeaway from this set. The takeaway here was the theatrics behind the performance. They were subtle in a way. It wasn’t smoke and mirrors, just swirling lights and intricate outfits. Outside of an umbrella that was used in the final song, there were no props, yet this felt like a performance, not just a show. Sure, there was a little cheese in the set, especially at the end, where Wednesday 13 acted as if a stage manager of sorts was trying to get them off the stage, but they refused and kept on playing the refrain from their final track, but even that cheese wasn’t enough to pause the almost daydream-like world that this opening act had created. I’ll be honest, Wednesday 13 stole this show for me, and I knew that as they left the stage, but I was still excited to see the next two bands on the bill.

I saw The Birthday Massacre for the first time last spring. It was a band that was on my bucket list and one that I had come to terms with the fact that I would just never see them live. Not only did I get to see them last spring, but I also got to see them again on Monday night as they were the second act on this three-band bill. This Canadian band is not my normal cup of tea, but they had me hooked in 2005 with their album ‘Violet.’ The sound is dark and dreary, but there’s this fire of passion that comes through the darkness. There’s love and tenderness, but there are also moments of angst and chaos. Being able to see this band shift through those various worlds and vibes right in front of you is nothing short of captivating. Compared to Wednesday 13, this band really didn’t do much on stage. They stood there and played their parts with a little movement here and there. Normally, this would turn me off, but the power of the sound of The Birthday Massacre almost leans into this more subdued performance. It adds to the moodiness of it all, and I feel like the more stagnant stage presence almost enhances that dreamlike world that their sound creates. Throw in the constant finger created hearts in the air from both the band and audience, and you were left with a truly stunning show of power and beauty from The Birthday Massacre.

As is the case more often than not, I knew nothing about the headlining act, Lord of the Lost. I had seen photos of the group, and that’s what had me intrigued. All of the photos were theatrical. From the outfits the band was wearing to the lighting and poses, this band just had me super intrigued, but I knew nothing about their song. This was a gamble. Although I thoroughly enjoyed Wednesday 13 and will always have a soft spot for the sound of The Birthday Massacre, this dark and heavy world is not one that I really hang out in anymore because, honestly, it just doesn’t do it for me, so I was afraid that maybe Lord of the Lost wasn’t going to be for me. As I often mention, I tend to worry too much.

The amount of drama and power that this German band brought to the stage was staggering. Their set was dark, and I don’t mean just the mood of it, I mean the whole thing. Watching Lord of the Lost perform made me feel like I was in a whole other world. It was threatening and severe, but at the same time, there was something truly lovely about this band and its members. That came to light when vocalist Chris “The Lord” Harms took a second to call out the elephant in the city. Chris mentioned that this band knows what’s happening here in Minneapolis and that they were worried they wouldn’t be able to make it to town because of it. He went on to say that he sure is happy it worked out and that Lord of the Lost was able to bring their show to town and give us all an escape. Okay, that’s not really what he said, but that was the takeaway for me. Lord of the Lost didn’t just give the audience members a show; they gave us an escape. An escape to a dark and intense yet lovely and stunning world.

Monday felt good. I feel guilty saying that, but it’s true. I’m not naive. Things are still bad up here in the Twin Cities, but spending my Monday watching drummers take over the downtown streets, followed by this amazing and theatrical show, just made me feel “good.” Music is an escape, and I think all of us in the Twin Cities and beyond could really just use a bit of an escape. I hope you can find a show like this one to go to and just take a break from it all and get lost in the magic and artistry of live music.

Line Up:

Wednesday 13

The Birthday Massacre

Lord of the Lost

Venue: First Avenue

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 38

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- None

Mosh-ability- 2 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)-

Wednesday 13 – 2

The Birthday Massacre – 1

Lord of the Lost – 0

Show on Deck — The Elovaters / Shwayze / JARV

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