Girl at the Rock Shows

I thought I had planned for everything when it came to day two of Caterwaul at Zhora Darling on Saturday. I had two bottles of sunscreen to help protect my ginger skin under the brutal sun, a handful of Liquid IVs to help me deal with the insane heat, Tums for any heartburn, Tylenol for any headaches, a few protein bars to keep me going– literally, everything– except for allergy medicine. I’ve always been a victim of allergies, but I am always able to power through. Apparently not on Saturday. My goal was to cover every single band at this festival, but about halfway through Saturday, I could feel my eyes getting irritated, and by the time the final band took the stage outside, before the festivities moved inside, my eyes had had enough. They were swollen to the point where even just keeping them open was beyond painful. I had to throw in the towel after things wrapped up outside. My immense apologies to the four bands that played the “After Party” inside on Saturday night. I really tried to push through, but it just wasn’t in the cards. Although I’m disappointed in myself, I also recognize that everyone has a limit, and I have reached mine. Yeah, I’m bummed I missed Art Star, The Thirsty Giants, ¿Watches?, and Muscle, but I am also still riding on cloud nine thinking back to all of the amazing bands that I did get to catch in the parking lot next to Zhora Darling on Saturday during the day.

My day started with H.E.A.T. Although a buddy had ruined the surprise that this is the new project (which stands for Hell Exists Already There) fronted by Dan of Murf fame, I was still absolutely thrilled that I was starting my day off with this band. If you have ever heard of or seen Murf, you know that this local band was insane, and H.E.A.T. is no different. They were chaos on stage and in the speakers, but it was an organized kind of chaos with a groove and infectious energy that was made for opening up a marathon of a day. With Dan dressed in a scanty nurse outfit and the rest of the band in blood-drenched scrubs, H.E.A.T didn’t waste a single second of their limited time on stage. My heart broke when I heard that Murf was no longer, but I was so thrilled to see that the spirit of the band is still alive and well in this new form.

Up next was Bone Bag from Georgia. This band leaned into the grunge side of things, but don’t let that fool you. The amount of angst and energy this band brought to the stage was insane. Watching the vocalist scream to the point of shaking added a level of emotion to their set that I haven’t felt in a long time, but the way the vocalist went from that to a more laid-back, almost stoned kind of vibe between songs was even more insane. I’m not sure how this band got linked up with this festival or if they plan to come back to the Twin Cities any time soon, but I sure hope they do. I feel like what I got from their short set on Saturday was just the tip of the iceberg, and I would love to hear (and feel) more.

Chicago-based Burned or Buried was up next. Although from Chicago, there was something almost Detroit Rock City styled about their sound. It was somehow laid-back and controlled while being insanely powerful and emotive all at the same time. Burned or Buried was all business. They were clearly taking advantage of their short time allowed on stage and didn’t want to miss making sure the audience got a true taste of what they are all about, but, at the same time, they brought a sense of humor to the stage. At one point, vocalist Leighton Chamberlain Mann called out the elder abuse happening with the heat after one of the organizers of the festival pointed out a fan on stage who was not being used. Okay, maybe you had to be there, but it was a super funny moment that, along with other funny moments scattered throughout the day, helped make us all forget just how miserably hot it was.

The Hammer Party had traveled over 1000 miles from their home in Providence, Rhode Island, to play a thirty-minute set (yes, that’s how awesome this festival is). Although the band questioned off the bat if this insane travel for a short time on stage was worth it, I knew it was within the first song. Their classic punk sound with a little extra sprinkle of noise rock was exactly what I needed to help me get through the hottest part of the day. Vocalist Dan St. Jacques didn’t seem to mind the heat. He was all over the place, from the stage to the ground and back to the stage, all the while giving the audience a very dramatic performance of facial expressions that made you laugh, but also made you wonder what the heck is wrong with this guy? It was a light-hearted set full of insane riffs and power.

Up next was Orlock. This band’s sound didn’t fit any kind of mold (which could be said for a lot of the bands that perform at this festival), but if I had to classify them, I would say they are a punk band with leans into everything from metal to goth, all done with a flair that can only be called “Orlock.” Their sound was super great, but their banter between songs was awkward. The band quickly called themselves out on it. “We’re not antisocial, just super neuro-divergent.” I don’t know why, but this statement really resonated with me. It kind of felt like this was what this festival was all about. It didn’t matter who you were or if you spent the weekend socializing or not. Everyone in attendance at this festival has a heart that beats to the beat of music, and that’s all that matters. Okay, getting a bit deep here, I know, but long story short, I fell in love with Orlock’s sound and was enamored by their honesty and just them in general.

I don’t care how many times I see local band Panel, I’ll never get sick of it. Fronted by the one and only Annie Sparrows, Panel never disappoints, and, although it was absolutely a scorcher with the heat, they didn’t hold back. One of my favorite things about this band is how they absolutely have a punk kind of sound and vibe, but they also have this boppiness to them that makes them feel as infectious as a pop band. That doesn’t make sense when reading it, I know, but just trust me on this and go see them for yourselves to feel the magic that is Panel.

When talking to a couple of friends in attendance this weekend, everyone had the same answer when I asked who they were most excited to see – Heet Deth. I had never heard of this duo prior to Saturday and wasn’t about to ruin the surprise by checking them out before their set around 6:30 PM on Saturday, but I instantly understood why this was one of the “hot names” of the weekend. Although the drummer pulled up on a scooter due to a broken ankle that was still healing, these two musicians didn’t hold a single thing back. Their set was abrasive and full of energy and power, but also full of dizzying riffs and angst-driven lyrics that made it so easy to feel attached to them right off the bat. Although their sound felt chaotic, both members of this group had a way of keeping things organized and clean. It was raw, it was powerful, and it was perfect.

Madison, Wisconsin-based Whippets was up next. This trio has a sound that makes you tune out the rest of the world. Although at this point, my eyes were absolutely killing me from allergies, I didn’t want to blink because blinking meant I might miss something, but, at the same time, I would have been more than satisfied just closing my eyes and getting lost in Whippets’ world– until the end of the set. During the last song, guitarist/vocalist Bobby Hussy leaped from the stage down to the ground and quickly doused the back of his guitar with lighter fluid and then, boom, set it on fire. Although fire on instruments is nothing new (shout out to Daikaiju), it never gets old and adds a flare to this set. After setting the poor guitar on fire, Bobby proceeded to rip the strings off the instrument one by one until they were all unattached, signaling the end of their set. I felt bad for the guitar, but what a way to end a set.

I was intimidated as hell within the first three seconds of Great Falls’ set on Saturday night. Like many of the bands performing this weekend, I had never heard of Great Falls prior to Saturday, but within those first seconds, I wanted to know everything there was to know about them. It wasn’t just a sonically powerful start to their set that hooked me; it was the emotion. Before you even heard instrumentation, you heard vocals being shouted into the air. No microphone, just raw shouting that was powerful enough to fill the entire parking lot. They had me hook, line, and sinker, and that love just continued to grow throughout their performance as the band explored worlds of loud and abrasive noise, metal, punk, and rock. The way this trio puts emotion in both their music and their stage presence is insane. Although I knew nothing about this band, I watched them as if I was watching one of the bands that had saved my life. One of the bands that I had turned to when I felt completely hopeless. I know that sounds heavy, and it was, but it was also a beautiful thing and a set that I will not soon forget.

The final band to grace the outdoor stage on Saturday (and the band to close out my night) was the one and only Rye Coalition. This band hit their stride in the early 90’s and early 2000s, but called it quits in 2006, only playing a show here or there since then. One of those shows was Saturday night at Caterwaul, which is absolutely insane and a treat. You could tell that this band is legendary. I had heard of them in passing, knew a few songs, but I wouldn’t consider myself a huge fan, if only because I don’t know a lot about them. I seemed to be alone in that camp. The audience that had been lingering all over the parking lot throughout the day condensed much closer to the stage, and people were screaming and singing along to the post-punk sound of Rye Coalition in a way that I hadn’t heard previously in the day. Sadly, I didn’t last long into their set. I had hit my limits, my eyes were shot, and I knew that if I had any hope of driving home, I had to leave, so, reluctantly, I did just that, but I was thrilled to figure out that I could hear Rye Coalition absolutely killing their set all the way back to my car.

I left Saturday feeling completely defeated. I hate that I missed bands because that’s something I rarely do, but the truth is, everyone hits a limit, and I had hit mine. I’m glad I left and was able to give my eyes a break before going back for day three (with allergy medicine in hand this time), but I’m so bummed that I wasn’t able to catch everyone that performed on Saturday. Again, my apologies to the bands that I missed, but, really, looking back on it, what an amazing day, and it was an honor to witness the genius, talent, and heart of all of the bands that I was able to catch before throwing in the towel.

Line Up:

H.E.A.T.

Bone Bag

Burned or Buried

The Hammer Party

Orlock

Panel

Heet Deth

Whippets

Great Falls

Rye Coalition

Venue: Zhora Darling

Smell-O-Meter: Heat, Sweat, BO

Average Age of the Crowd: 44

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 3 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)-

H.E.A.T. – 0

Bone Bag – 0

Burned or Buried – 0

The Hammer Party – 0

Orlock – 0

Panel – 4

Heet Deth – 0

Whippets – 0

Great Falls – 0

Rye Coalition – 0

Show on Deck – Caterwaul Day 3!

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