I Get Nervous At Parties

I am a pop-punk princess. There is no way around it. I thrive when there’s a nostalgic playlist with hits from the early 2000s and will die on the hill that that was the golden age of music. I wouldn’t say that I’m resistant to new music at all. I mean, that’s kind of the point of this blog– to introduce myself and all of you to new music. That being said, on those days when nothing feels right, I find a sense of solace in music from that golden age. As of late, I’ve noticed some newer pop-punk and emo tracks sneaking into those nostalgic playlists. Bands like Hot Mulligan and PUP have that nostalgic vibe but a fresh take on it. This resurgence of Midwest music has me looking ahead rather than behind when it comes to music, and it’s bands like the three that played on Wednesday night at The Varsity Theater in Minneapolis that have me so excited about the future of the genre.

I’ve been obsessed with the first band that played on Wednesday night, Kerosene Heights, ever since I saw them at The Underground Music Cafe last spring. I was instantly enamored by their way of bringing emotion to the forefront of their set while keeping things feeling fairly light-hearted and fun. There was a sense of grit and fire that radiated from them when they played that night, and I was excited to see them do it all again. That being said, I was a bit nervous. The stage at The Varsity Theater is so much larger than the small floor space that the band occupied at the Underground Music Cafe. Was I going to get that same feeling of grit and fire? Why do I worry so much? Of course, I was because Kerosene Heights is a band full of real people with songs that have real messages behind them, making them a really impactful kind of band.

I felt like I was discovering this band all over again as I watched them power through their quick, opening set. You can listen to Kerosene Heights on recordings all you want, but it just does not do their sound justice. That extra grit and heart-on-sleeve emotion that they bring to every stage is what really stole my heart when it comes to them, and it was definitely in the spotlight on Wednesday night. I wish I could expand on this, and I feel like I will back myself into this corner with all three bands that performed, but, truthfully, there just are not the right words to go into this deeper. Although there was very little movement in the audience throughout this opening set, it was clear to see that the crowd was feeling exactly what I was and did the first time I saw Kerosene Heights– complete and utter love and admiration. Kerosene Heights have been grinding lately. Although I didn’t make it to the show, they were just here about two months ago and continue to tour around the country. Touring is not easy. Touring and putting on shows that have such a sense of emotion and fire is not easy, but Kerosene Heights is doing it, and I think it’s just a matter of time before they are headlining shows like this themselves.

Following Kerosene Heights was Retirement Party. Out of the three bands on this line-up, Retirement Party was the one I knew the least about. Hailing from Chicago, Illinois. Their blend of pop-punk, emo, and even a little math rock left me completely dazzled. It’s not surprising that Wednesday night was my first introduction to this band. Vocalist Avery Springer admitted that it has been a hot minute (around six years since they’ve played in the Twin Cities) since this band was really active, but with a new line-up and some new music out there, they are ready to take over this scene. Like Kerosene Heights, heart and fire were at the forefront of Retirement Party’s set. You didn’t just hear every word they sang, you felt it, and every sparkly guitar solo felt like ghost fingers dancing on your heart in this odd yet powerful way. If I had to compare Retirement Party to a band, it would be Sincere Engineer, but I feel like that’s a bit of a cop-out. That being said, I loved how I instantly felt attached and like I could relate to this band because of that familiar but new-to-me sound. This may have been my first time hearing the majority of the songs that Retirement Party packed into their quick set, but each one hit me like a warm and familiar hug, and I can’t wait for another chance to experience their magic.

Closing out this Wednesday evening (and I say evening because this was a super early, all-ages kind of show), show was the one and only saturdays at your place from Kalamazoo, Michigan. Although this band is from Michigan, vocalist Esden Stafne is actually originally from right here in Minnesota. Although I can’t call them a local band just because Minnesota is Esden’s home state, there was something that felt “local” about their set on Wednesday night. Don’t get me wrong, the Varsity Theater is a good-sized venue for here in the Twin Cities. It has a capacity just shy of 1000 people and is owned and operated by Live Nation (I won’t get into my thoughts on that, but do acknowledge that this gives the Varsity Theater a bit of a “larger-than-life” kind of reputation). It’s the kind of venue that local bands typically only ever dream of playing on Saturdays, yet saturdays at your place brought a very “local show” kind of vibe to the space. Sure, they were on stage and separated from the audience by a small gap, complete with a couple of security guards, but you didn’t notice that when the music was playing. All that you noticed were Saturdays at your place, playing their hearts out, and the audience responding.

Like the other two bands on this tour, the sound of saturdays at your place is very “Midwest emo.” This is not a new phrase but i feel like it’s one that’s picking up steam so may as well try my best to explain what I understand the phrase to mean. For me, Midwest emo brings the emotional lyrics and raw vibe of the emo music of the early 2000s and mixes it with this almost math-rock styled guitar that glitters like the stars in a night sky. These two elements almost contradict themselves with the way the lyrical content is almost always oddly depressing or painfully introspective while the instrumentation seems to have these harsh and bitter angles. It’s a cool vibe and one that saturdays at your place has absolutely nailed while giving this almost youthful spirit to the sound and to their performances which was absolutely a highlight of Wednesday night for me.

saturdays at your place are not a household name yet. At the same time, they aren’t a completely unknown band either (as proven by the good-sized crowd that was in attendance on Wednesday). They’re a bit of a hidden gem where, if you know, you know, and if you don’t, you will. Whether you hear their music first or see them absolutely destroy a stage first, when you are introduced to this band, you will surely understand why this was such an amazing, dazzling, and perfect way to spend a Wednesday evening.