Girl at the Rock Shows

I’ve said it before, and I will keep on saying it– going to a giant show is always fun, but have you ever been to a local show where everyone knows everyone and, if they don’t, they are quick to shake hands and chat? That was the vibe on Wednesday night at Zhora Darling, and it was just what I needed. Although I was at this show alone, I quickly realized that I was far from on my own. From members of the bands saying hi to people in the audience, recognizing me from other various shows, and striking up conversations about some super cool shows we had all seen lately, I felt completely drenched in a sense of community and surrounded by love. It was the perfect setting for what would turn into a perfect show.

Although I had never heard of or seen The Favorite Things live prior to them opening up this show, it was love at first set. Maybe it was the fact that they had written a whole song about the band Two Cow Garage (if you know, you know), or maybe it was the way that this band felt like they were all business but were still clearly able to have some fun on stage. Regardless, I was instantly falling head over heels for this local no-frills rock band and wanted so much more than the forty-five-minute set they gave me on Wednesday night. The Favorite Things had all of the 90s vibe, which fit my day perfectly, as I seemed to have been lost in a 90s alt-pop playlist for the majority of the night. Although there was something very retro and familiar about their sound, the amount of passion and fire that this group played with made it feel far from standard. There was something that sparkled and glittered about The Favorite Things’ set that I can’t quite put my finger on at this point. I guess that means I’ll just have to go see them again soon.

No frills seemed to be the theme of the night. That may not sound like a great night, but to me, it was pure bliss. I love the fact that the music was in the forefront, not a production, and that couldn’t be more true for Velahsa, the next band to take the stage. I’ve covered this band a few times now and have no plan to stop. The amount of fun and joy that they bring to a room is seriously insane, and although Wednesday night’s show was far from a sold-out audience, that didn’t change. The songs of Velahsa are raw, and the lyrics will absolutely hit you a bit closer to home than you may want, but that’s the power of this band. They know what to say and how to say it to make you feel something and to get you attached. At the same time, this band is pure joy and fun when they perform. From vocalist Bryan Scott Miller’s epic jumps to the way the three members interact like they are three Frat boys at a keg party or something (okay, maybe that’s just me that reads it that way but, really, they just seem to have such childlike fun between the three of them), there’s no possible way to just stand there and take in a Velahsa set. They make you get engaged, whether that’s with cheers between songs or the constant head and toe tapping that occurs as they are playing.

Wednesday night was the 14th anniversary of this band. Apparently, fourteen years ago, Velahsa played their first show, and the rest is history. Sure, there have been some changes with this band, but it’s been over a decade of Velahsa grinding and playing away in the local music scene. That’s what should have been celebrated on Wednesday night, but that’s not how it happened. Instead of celebrating the band, the members of Velahsa seemed to be celebrating everyone else in attendance. It felt like everyone in the audience (including myself) got a shout-out, but it wasn’t just a name shout-out; it was a small story. I honestly think my cheeks turned an insane color of red as the band thanked me for everything I do and went on to dedicate their cover of a Paramore song to me. Okay, I’m being dramatic, it wasn’t everyone in the audience that got a shout-out, but that’s what made me feel a bit less “called out” by my own, and it truly was a lot of people. This just goes to show how much Velahsa cares about the community. Yes, it was their birthday party, but it was also a party for those who came out and celebrated this institution of a band in the local scene, and the band wasn’t about to let that get lost in the night.

Closing out Wednesday night’s show was another local institution – Tim Casey & The Martyrs. After nearly a year off from playing, Wednesday night marked the triumphant return of this band, and I, for one, am so excited about it. Like the previous two bands, the sound of Tim Casey & The Martyrs is a no frills kind of rock sound, but whereas The Favorite Things seemed to lean into a bit of a 90s vibe and Velahsa into a bit more punk thing, Tim Casey & The Martyrs had this almost retro-rock kind of influence. Maybe I’m just saying that because of the keyboard/ organ sound, or maybe there’s really something to this thought, regardless, the sound is the kind of sound that is so easy to fall into and even easier to fall in love with. Although they haven’t played a show in nearly a year, Tim Casey & The Martyrs have been busy writing new music, including a few new songs that I got to hear on Wednesday night. Sure, it was great to hear the classics from this tried and true local band, but hearing them debut a song like “Half Of Me” was the true highlight of the set for me and the rest of the audience.

Just when things were starting to feel like they were getting back to normal in the Twin Cities, my phone started blowing up with an ICE sighting. Okay, it was more than a sighting. Late on Wednesday night, I started getting notifications that ICE was disappearing people in my community again. Okay, not again. They never stopped, but I feel like it got harder to track them, harder to show up and be a legal observer, but something changed on Wednesday night. I had to leave Zhora Darling early. I felt terrible, but my community needed me. I left like a bat out of hell and drove to the location where ICE agents were supposedly stationed. I missed most of what had happened, but was there in time to see a few vehicles surveying an area not far from my house and just a couple of miles from the venue. It broke my heart, but the sense of community that I felt throughout the show on Wednesday night gave me hope. The Twin Cities are getting back to normal, but it’s a new normal, and it’s a hard pill to swallow, but as I’ve been saying since the insanity started, you have to find your people, places, and things that give you a little break from it all and remind you that there is still good in the world. A local show is that place for me, and Wednesday night was the perfect example of how much power a local show can have on your energy level, heart, and soul.

Line Up:

The Favorite Things

Velahsa

Tim Casey & The Martyrs

Venue: Zhora Darling

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 45

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 0 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)-

The Favorite Things – 0

Velahsa – 3

Tim Casey & The Martyrs – 1

Show on Deck – La Dispute / From Indian Lakes / Flooding

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