Girl at the Rock Shows

Typically, now is the time of year that I would be prepping for a trip to Las Vegas to check out Punk Rock Bowling. It’s one of my favorite festivals I go to year after year, but sadly, this year, it’s not happening. I won’t get into why because, truthfully, I just don’t know, but I will say that my heart is broken that I won’t be spending my Memorial Day weekend soaking in the hot air and the delicious tunes that come with this festival. Although a bummer, I’ve known about a little concert series in Minneapolis of the same name – Punk [Rock] Bowling. Although it’s definitely not the same, there was something satisfying about being at a show that blends music and bowling in a way that even Punk Rock Bowling in Vegas can’t do.

Punk Rock Bowling in Vegas has a bowling aspect, but it’s not directly correlated with the festival. The bowling typically happens during the morning hours and at a bowling alley separate from the festival grounds. That’s not the way it works at Punk Bowling nights at Memory Lanes in Minneapolis. You have bands playing while people are whizzing bowling balls down the lanes adjacent to the stage. The stage isn’t always centered right on the lanes. Sometimes it’s set up near the bar area, but on this Monday night, the stage was set up right in the middle of the lanes. I don’t know why, but something about this just brings so much joy to my heart. It’s just so fun to know that you can watch a show and roll a couple of strikes (or gutter balls if you have the outstanding bowling talent that I do) all at the same time, and all while being surrounded by a sense of community that is as loud as the music. This is not a new event. Memory Lanes hosts live music a lot– not just on Punk Bowling nights– but this is a place that I don’t frequent, and, after spending my Monday night there, I know that this is something that I will be changing.

Local power-pop band Cheap Glue was first to take the stage. I was instantly struck by their almost vintage kind of sound. It was cool and had this slight feeling of doo-wop, but it also had a punk edge that made them the perfect opening act for Punk Bowling. Everything about this band felt so effortless in a way. Watching the members glide through their songs with a sense of carefree perfection was something that I just can’t find the right words to fully describe, but it told me everything I needed to know about this band. They have a sound that isn’t trying to be anything other than what they enjoy. I see so many bands that try to be a bit harder than they actually are to fit a certain bill, or bands that lighten up because they think that would fit the bill a bit better. Not Cheap Glue. They didn’t care what kind of bill this was or what was going to follow them on this stage. They got up there, played their distinct, retro-feeling songs, and that was that. No frills but a whole lot of talent and harmonious notes. I’m not sure how long Cheap Glue has been a thing or how I’ve gone any amount of time with not seeing them perform live, but I know that this will not be the last time I get to see this local band, and that means this is not the last time you’ll be reading about them.

I’ve only seen Buio Omega, the next band to play on Monday night, once, but that one time changed my life. Okay, I’m being a bit dramatic, but truly, this is one of those local bands that I could see night after night and never get bored. Their set is as cathartic as their sound is intense. Their sound feels like emotion, and their energy like electricity. The last time I saw Buio Omega play was on the legendary First Avenue main stage, which is a hell of a lot larger than what they performed on on Monday night. I loved how this changed nothing. If anything, the intimacy of Monday night just made their catharsis hit me a bit hard; it made their sound seep in a bit deeper and just added to the amount of love I have for this band. Although I would describe their sound as chaotic, it’s organized. It has this very give no fucks, take no fucks kind of energy about it, and that’s just what I needed on Monday night after the first day of what is sure to be an intense week of work. This show moved super fast, and I feel like just when I was ready to put my camera down and really let the music of Buio Omega take me over, it was done. Thankfully for me, there will be a few more chances to catch this insane and perfect local band in the next couple of weeks, and I plan on taking all of those chances.

Listen to your friends when it comes to music. Even if they lead you down a path that isn’t quite for you a few times, listen to them. That’s how I ended up at this show on Monday night. Truthfully, I didn’t want to go out. I’m fighting some sort of obnoxious tickle in my throat and just want it to go away so I can feel one hundred percent again. I felt that staying in and on the couch may be the cure, but I had my buddy’s voice circling my head. He had told me about this show and seemed genuinely excited about the fact that Sex Mex was going to be playing such an intimate show. I had never heard of Sex Mex prior to these conversations with my friend, but this buddy that was telling me about this band typically has good taste in music and even better taste in energy, so I took a leap and, within the first song, I was so glad that I had.

I spent the first song or two of Sex Mex’s set sitting at the bar finishing up a drink. I could hear everything crystal clear, but could not see what this band looked like. I formed a picture in my mind. This mental picture was a typical four-piece kind of band. Drummer, bassist, guitarist, and vocalist. Nothing out of the norm, no surprises. How wrong I was when it came to this mental picture. Ends up that Sex Mex is actually the solo project of Clark Gray. Instead of a full band, it was just Clark behind a drumset with headphones on and a smattering of amps and other musical instrument machinery around him. I don’t know how it all works and won’t even try to understand it. All I needed to know was what I heard, and that was that Clark Gray is a genius and a hell of a musician.

Stylistically, Sex Mex was this almost pop-punk-leaning, gritty kind of punk style. It was kind of odd to go from the intense angst that came from Buio Omega to something a bit more bubble-gum feeling, but it worked. Although constrained behind his drumset, Clark was giving a huge sense of energy, and even though his banter was self-admittedly not that great, there was something super charming and just real about Clark and everything he was doing. I talk a lot about hard-working bands. About bands that have been grinding for years and don’t let anything or anyone get in their way. Sex Mex is one of those bands. I feel like I should have so much more to say about Sex Mex, but truthfully, there’s just not much to say. This is one of those acts that you have to hear, see, and feel for yourself to truly enjoy the magic, so do yourself a favor and do just that. From what I can tell, Sex Mex is a bit of a road warrior kind of act, so chances are that you can catch Clark near you very soon.

I hate that I won’t be heading to Las Vegas in a couple of weeks for Punk Rock Bowling, but I am so glad that I finally had a chance to check out my local Punk Bowling event. This won’t be my last Punk Bowling event. They happen every Monday night at Memory Lanes, and I would love to see you at one of the next ones!

Line Up:

Cheap Glue

Buio Omega

Sex Mex

Venue: Punk Bowling at Memory Lanes

Smell-O-Meter: Your typical bowling alley smells

Average Age of the Crowd: 36

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 4 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

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

Cheap Glue – 0

Buio Omega – 1

Show on Deck – Tim Casey & The Martyrs / Velahsa / The Favorite Things

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