Girl at the Rock Shows

How many articles have you seen lately claiming that craft beer is dead? How many eulogies have you seen for local breweries in your area? Maybe it’s just a pandemic up here in the Twin Cities, but I have a feeling this mass extinction has hit everywhere. I’ve seen some of my favorite breweries go down, but I’ve also seen some thrive during this time. One of those thriving breweries is Modist Brewing in downtown Minneapolis. Things haven’t always been easy for this brewery. Their humble beginnings definitely took a hit during the COVID pandemic, but they held on for dear life and, this past weekend, they hit the ten-year milestone of being a force in the local beer scene. This brewery wasn’t going to celebrate quickly. Much like their beers that had bold and loud flavors, Modist Brewing decided to throw a tenth birthday party of sorts, but opening up the warehouse portion of their brewery to two nights of live music. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it to the Friday night of this edition, but I was lucky enough to make it on Saturday.

With a backdrop of kegs, pallets of cardboard, and stacks of unlabeled shiny cans, Rad Enhancer was the first band to kick off the Saturday night show. They didn’t hold back. Although they were the first act of a four-band line-up, their thrashy style of metal instantly took over the room and the audience. It was not hard to see the effect that their music had on people. Whether you were up close to the stage with your eyes glued to the phenomenal musicians that make up this band, or waiting in line to get the first of what would be many delicious beers, you were headbanging in some way. Maybe it was just in your head, maybe your toe was tapping along in lieu of your head, or maybe you were just straight up letting your neck do the work. Either way, it didn’t take long for you to get into Rad Enhancer’s set.

Although the music was (and always is) all business with this band, their performance is far from serious. From a fan being positioned right in front of shredding guitarist Joe Anderson to really ecentuate his long and glorious hair to the way that vocalist Aaron Wolff decided that Joe wasn’t the only one who deserved the fan and leaned into the breeze to let his sweaty locks let loose a little bit, there was just a sense of humor that radiates throughout Rad Enhancer’s short time on stage. This is what makes this band a band for everyone. Look, I know not everyone is into thrash. Personally, I love it. I love the energy and the angst that it puts out there and the way it forces an audience to move, but I recognize that it’s a bit of an acquired taste. Rad Enhancer gives you more than music; they give you a show full of personality, and that’s what could make even the biggest metal-hater a fan of this band.

I don’t know how Saturday night was my first experience with local pop-punkers The MANIX but here we are, and I am so excited to have been introduced to their world. Although definitely a stark difference stylistically from the controlled chaos that was Rad Enhancer, The MANIX’s unique pop-punk blend hit the audience just as hard and was just as full of heart and passion. The first thing that I noticed about this band was the audience’s way of responding. Okay, it was one audience member in particular. There was something about seeing even just one person screaming and fist-pumping along to every word that really got my blood flowing in all of the right ways. That, mixed with the way they sound, was right up my alley with their way of blending a classic pop-punk sound with something a bit more Midwest and current, had me beyond sold.

Everything sounded and looked great from the audience, but the backdrop of this set had some pain attached to it. Just a couple of seconds into their set, one of the members admitted that he was hurting. He actually had a hernia, but he refused to miss this show. Honestly, had he not said anything, I don’t know if anyone would have questioned anything. Other than a few moments where he would kind of stumble back or be in a weird position on stage, everything seemed fine about this band. This just went to show not only how important this show was to them, but how important this event was. I feel like having a hernia is more than enough of an excuse to drop out of a show, but not here, not in Minneapolis, and not for Modist. The set went on and sounded great, but after this particular member pointed out the ailment, it was hard not to feel a little bad for him. Don’t worry, though, Dillinger Four bassist Paddy Costello was there for him the second he stepped off stage with an ice pack and a cold beer.

The last time I saw Scrunchies was in 2024 when they opened for Otoboke Beaver. Before that, it was January of 2019 when they were playing First Avenue’s Best New Bands. I hate the fact that both of those shows were so long ago. This trio has a heck of a sound and an insane amount of chutzpah when it comes to their performances. Stylistically, you could call this band a bit of a post-punk art project, but, at the same time, there are moments in their music where they feel more like an indie-rock band (but with just a bit more personality than your average, everyday indie rock group). Although just a trio, this band packs a punch not only when it comes to their live performance but also when it comes to their sound. I love the way that the three members of this band each seem to be in their own world, with their own distinct style and taste, but somehow come together to create something so beautifully harmonious.

Another thing I love about this band is watching vocalist Laura Larson. Don’t get me wrong, all three members of this band are great, but there’s just something so electrifying about watching Laura perform. She doesn’t just sing the words; she feels them deep in her soul, and that means that you, as an audience member, also feel every single word deep into your soul. You may not catch the exact words or phrases, but you feel their weight and their meaning just by the way that Laura performs. Scrunchies’ set felt short when, in reality, it wasn’t. All of the bands that performed on Saturday night had a great chunk of time to play with, but there’s just never enough time when it comes to seeing Scrunchies live. It may have been a few years since I last saw them live, but I hope that Saturday night starts a trend of me being able to see this band more often.

Closing out the ten-year anniversary celebration was the almighty Dillinger Four. Out of all of the bands I’ve seen since starting this blog, Dillinger Four is my second most seen act (second only to By The Thousands). You’ve had to read me gush over this legendary band sixteen times already, so I promise not to dwell on them too long and let you get on with your day, but holy heck. If you’ve never seen Dillinger Four play in the Twin Cities, you need to change that immediately. I’ve seen them in various places around the country, but something always just feels so right about seeing them on their home turf, with Saturday night being no different.

We got to see all of the best sides of this band on Saturday. You got the classic hits like “A Floater Left With Pleasure in the Executive Washroom” but also go to hear their new song “Don’t Happy Be Worry.” We also got to see the side of Dillinger Four where music is in the spotlight, and although full of energy and life, this band never misses a single note or word. Opposite of that, we got to see the silly side of this band with the way the four members interact with each other. Long story short, their set on Saturday night was the perfect blend of what makes Dillinger Four such kings of the local scene and more– a mix of flawless Minneapolis-branded punk and personalities that remind you that these are the hometown boys- silly, fun, and just normal people at the end of the day.

Saturday night was a great show, but it was so much more than that. It was a celebration. A celebration of resilience, a celebration of Minneapolis, a celebration of good beer and great community. A celebration of Modist Brewing. Happy tenth birthday, Modist. Cheers to many, many more!

Line Up:

Rad Enhancer

The MANIX

Scrunchies

Dillinger Four

Venue: Modist Brewing

Smell-O-Meter: Beer and Sweat

Average Age of the Crowd: 40

Crowd Surfers- 1

Stage Divers- 1

Mosh-ability- 8.7 out of 10

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

Broken Bones- None

Spotted Flying Through The Air- 1 Body

Fights- None

Pukers- 0

Passed Out People- 0

Celebrity Sightings – Members of Supportive Parents and Battery Eyes

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

Rad Enhancer – 4

The MANIX – 0

Scrunchies – 2

Dillinger Four – 16

Show on Deck — Snow Tha Product

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