Girl at the Rock Shows

St. Patrick’s Day is just a couple of weeks away. Are you in the holiday spirit? Honestly, it’s not my holiday. Sure, I’ve gone out and celebrated with copious amounts of beer in years past, but these days, I feel like it’s one of those holidays that just doesn’t really hit me like it used to. That is not the case this year. From seeing Dropkick Murphys perform a free, parking lot show on Friday to spending Saturday night at The Hook & Ladder with The Killigans and Flatfoot 56, I’m ready for it this year.

Kicking things off at the always lovely Hook & Ladder were local rockers Toilet Rats. I can not confirm or deny that this project is headed by Tommy Ratz out of a small studio in the sewers beneath Minneapolis, but I can confirm that this band is amazing. With lyrical themes revolving around ghouls, vampires, monsters, and things of the like, Toilet Rats is one of those bands that somehow takes themselves seriously while having fun with every passing note. You heard and felt that throughout their quick, twenty-five-minute set on Saturday night. Every song felt polished, but with the perfect amount of Minnesota-punk-grit. Along with that grit comes an almost synthy, new-wave attitude that really sets this band apart from everyone else in the local scene. Toilet Rats never disappointed, and Saturday was no different (although I was a bit disappointed by how short their set was).

Have you heard of “gruff melodic punk-northcore”? No? What a shame. That’s what Loss Leader, the next local band to perform, plays, and it is beyond perfect. Every time I see this band live, I fall a bit deeper in love. For me, it’s vocalist Tim Schumann. His vocals sound so distinct and emotive, with an insane amount of grit, that will instantly make you think Tim is a three-pack-a-day smoker. Although I’m pretty sure he isn’t, there’s just something about his vocal style that always speaks to my heart. His grit in particular seems to drive the message behind each of their songs home and straight into your soul. Don’t get me wrong, this entire band is beyond talented and perfect. Although they let Tim’s vocals guide their sound, there is no denying that this band would be nothing without the rest of these boys, who give Loss Leader its perfect sound.

What was the last good band to come out of Lincoln, Nebraska? Can you even name a band out of Lincoln, Nebraska? Growing up in Des Moines, Iowa, I feel like I can relate to Nebraskans about the lack of amazing local music, but just like Des Moines, Lincoln has some gems, and one of those gems is The Killigans. I won’t try to be cooler than I actually am. I had never heard of The Killigans before Saturday night, but by the end of their first song, I was completely enamored. The Killigans are definitely a Celtic-leaning punk band, but they draw in influences from so many other genres and worlds to create a song that doesn’t sound like just another Celtic punk band. There was one point in their set when the song they played sounded straight out of a Gogol Bordello album. Naturally, I didn’t catch the name of this song, but I feel like that influence was there throughout the set.

It wasn’t just the sound that had me sold on The Killigans; it was their energy. There was energy flying throughout the room on Saturday night, but something seemed to shift into a rowdier setting for The Killigans, and the band matched that energy so perfectly. There weren’t any high-flying jumps or anything like that (although I would have loved to see their accordionist do a split kick of sorts in the air while playing), but there was just so much fun radiating through the air during their set. I’ll be honest, I had a pretty crappy Saturday and, although excited for the show, I wasn’t quite ready to let go of all of the emotions I had been bottling up throughout the day. The Killigans’ set gave me my first chance in the day to breathe. I forgot about the broken garage door I had left behind at home, and completely washed a troubling conversation out of my mind with the help of this band and their energy. It was just what I needed, and all of this from a band I had never heard of before. Truly, what a gem of a group, and if you ever get the chance to see them live, I suggest you do.

Flatfoot 56 continued to help me clear my mind and soul from my crap day, but that’s no surprise. I have seen Flatfoot 56 many times before, and I feel like it’s always the same thing, yet they keep me coming back. Saying a band has been doing the same thing for over a decade doesn’t sound good, but in the case of this Chicago-based Celtic punk band, I mean it with all the love in my heart. Sure, things don’t really change with this band, but what they do is so perfect.

Like The Killigans, this band radiates such perfect, positive energy. I swear that there is no way to spend a Flatfoot 56 set with a frown on your face. Sure, some of that is from the high-energy punk songs that they play, but it’s more from the members of this band. They aren’t afraid to make funny faces or joke with the crowd while they power through song after song. Watching larger-than-life vocalist Tobin Bawinkel (seriously, this guy has to be nearly seven feet tall) sing is just one of those things that will always bring a smile to my face, but I couldn’t tell you why. It’s just one of those things that you have to see to understand.

Flatfoot 56’s music was on point on Saturday night. I definitely recognized some classic hits, but I also heard some new-to-me tracks that reminded me this band isn’t going anywhere. Throw in their flawless and super fun cover of Eddy Grant’s “Electric Avenue,” and you were left with a set that left even the most stoic human dancing, but that wasn’t the biggest takeaway for me. We all know that the Twin Cities have been going through a lot since the first of the year. It’s like there’s been a dark cloud hanging over us, and although the news may tell you it’s gone now, it’s not. This means that bands are bringing it. They know we need something a little extra, just that little extra bit of chutzpah and razzle-dazzle. Flatfoot 56 got that assignment and took it a step further. Not only did their set feel a bit more electrified than usual, but I feel like the sense of love and community that they brought felt just a bit more emphasized as well. Kind of like the way seeing Tobin sing brings such a smile to my face, I really can’t expand on this, but I can tell you that the energy and feeling that Flatfoot 56 brought to The Hook and Ladder on Saturday night wasn’t just what I needed, it’s what we needed.

Ready or not, St. Patrick’s Day is almost here. Even if I’m not ready to return to drinking green beer or eating an absurd amount of mashed potatoes in one day, it was fun to get into the holiday spirit with Flatfoot 56 and The Killigans.

Line Up:

Toilet Rats

Loss Leader

The Killigans

Flatfoot 56

Venue: The Hook & Ladder

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 38

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 3 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

How Many Times I’ve Seen These Bands Before (or at least how many times I can remember)-

Toilet Rats – 1

Loss Leader – 2

The Killigans – 0

Flatfoot 56 – 4

Show on Deck —Too Many Zooz / The Floozies / Bray Radbury

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