Girl at the Rock Shows

I’m not typically one for sold out shows. Honestly, if a show sells out, what do they need my press for? I know that’s kind of a negative way to look at things but I would rather spend my evenings and nights with at least a small sense of personal space and the freedom to wander around a bit without the risk of losing a good spot to get photos from. When I saw that Saturday night’s show at Zhora Darling sold out, I almost thought about bailing on it but, then I realized how stupid that was. Instead of being a bit annoyed at the sold-out-ness of the show, I changed my mind frame to being absolutely ecstatic that one of my favorite local bands had just sold out one of my favorite local venues. I knew it was going to be a tight squeeze and that this was going to be one of those shows that, once I found a spot, I was going to be stuck there throughout the night meaning photos were all going to come from just one angle but I didn’t care. I walked into the cozy venue with a smile on my face and a sense of joy in my heart.

Opening up this sold-out show was the almost amazing and always adorable Diane. I caught Diane briefly at a show at the 7th Street Entry but wasn’t able to write about it as it was a “secret show” being taped for the local public television station. I was so excited to finally be able to tell the world about the magic of Diane from the show on Saturday night but now, as I sit here on Sunday morning, I realize that there are no words to describe her beauty or power. Diane is a little bit of everything. She’s a rapper, a singer-songwriter, a radio personality and a lover of all things local music. Essentially, she’s a much cooler version than me and she comes with a heck of a voice. Her set on Saturday night ran the gamut of everything from charmful snark to heartfelt introspective tracks and I was captivated for all of it. Diane isn’t just a performer, she’s a story teller and after seeing her just once, you will feel like you know this woman on an almost intimate level just due to how raw and vulnerable some of her songs get. On the other hand, you will see this eclectic edge that makes Diane and her music stand out so perfectly. What I’m trying to say here is that Diane was such the perfect opening act to set the stage for the magic that was to come on Saturday night.

Following Diane was a set from TABAH. I’ll be honest, I’ve seen this band a couple of times now dating back to 2016 when I saw them opening for The Holy White Hounds at the 7th Street Entry. Although they had me intrigued, they didn’t have me sold and I truthfully kind of wrote this band off until a friend of mine urged me to check out their EP ‘inner net.’ I’m not going to say that that EP changed my life but I will say that it was amazing and more than enough for me to be willing to give this band yet another chance. Unfortunately, my schedule is the worst and I book up months in advance so it took me a hot minute to finally give TABAH another chance but it finally happened on Saturday night and I just can’t believe that I ever wasn’t sold on this band.

The first thing that hits you when it comes to a TABAH show is the energy. There’s something so carefree and loving about everything this band does without them doing anything. I know that makes zero sense, but do you ever meet someone and just their aura makes you happy? That’s TABAH’s aura. Sure, it helps that they played their song, “jflys (just fucking love yourself)” which is a powerful and catchy anthem about just that, loving yourself, but this vibe wasn’t as tongue-in-cheek as that song. From vocalist Cecelia Erholtz’s way of shuffling around the stage without a care in the world to the way this band all communicates through head nods and fast glances, all I wanted to do as I stood there watching TABAH was be part of their world, and I felt more than welcomed into it on Saturday.

Sonically, this band is all over the place. There are some songs that have a very psychedelic kind of backdrop to them, and others that have a more angsty, almost punk edge to them. Regardless of what kind of vibe this band is putting out there, there’s this almost organic freedom that comes with it. Clearly, every song is curated to perfection and has been rehearsed to a point, but TABAH just gives this feeling of almost improvisation in their music that just highlights the amount of joy that not only do they clearly find in creating music, but that they give to any audience that will lend their ears and hearts. I will never take back a word I said because, at the time, it was what I meant and felt, but I hate the fact that I now feel like I lost so much time with this amazing local band.

Closing out the show on Saturday night at Zhora Darling was the one and only Kiss the Tiger. Saturday was a homecoming of sorts for this local powerhouse. They have been on the road spreading the word of Kiss the Tiger all over the land, and finally came back to a giant blowout to celebrate their conquests. Okay, maybe it’s not meant to be that dramatic, but that’s how it felt on Saturday night. This wasn’t just another show for Kiss the Tiger; this was a celebration for them, and everybody was ready to cheer them across the finish line.

Like the other two acts on Saturday night, Kiss the Tiger’s sound is all over the place. From triumphant anthems to more tender love songs, Kiss the Tiger does it all, and they not only do it with a sense of perfection, but they also do it with a staggering amount of heart and passion, which is exactly what keeps me coming back time and time again to their sets. In the past, when I’ve seen Kiss the Tiger perform, I’ve gotten my photos and then quickly fallen into the background, but that was not an option on Saturday night. I was stuck in my spot right by the stage, but I had never been happier to be stuck. I let this band’s talent and amazing energy wash over me like the most beautiful and positive waves I had ever felt, and when it was time for them to leave, I felt almost lost and like it just wasn’t enough.

It wasn’t just the band that was on point on Saturday night; the audience was too. I loved watching people sing along to this local powerhouse as if they were watching a national touring act that they had paid hundreds to go see. Nobody in the audience wanted to miss a second of the music or a second of the show, and it just added an electrifying energy to an already amped up night. Honestly, this is all nothing new when it comes to a Kiss the Tiger show, but there was just something a bit more raw about it, given the setting of Zhora Darling. I wish I could expand on that, but unless you know this venue and the band, I guess this is one of those things that my words will just never do justice.

Saturday night was sold out. It was packed, with nowhere to go if you were stuck up front like me. Scratch that, I wasn’t stuck, I was honored to be in the spot I was in, and although I eventually pushed my way through the crowd to get to the back of the room and enjoy the last few songs from a different angle, I definitely left part of my heart in that front row.

Line Up:

Diane

TABAH

Kiss the Tiger

Venue: Zhora Darling

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 42

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 2 out of 10

Amount of Beer Spilled On Me While Walking Around- $0

Broken Bones- None

Spotted Flying Through The Air- Nothing

Fights- None

Pukers- 0

Passed Out People- 0

Celebrity Sightings – 0

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

Diane – 1

TABAH – 2

Kiss the Tiger – 6

Show on Deck — Krooked Kings / Annika Wells

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