Girl at the Rock Shows

Coming back to the real world after a vacation, no matter how small, is never easy. It’s like trying to run into a double-dutch jumprope scenario, and you just hope that you don’t get tripped up on that first jump. Maybe you make it through the first swoop of the ropes, but in no time, you will end up tripping yourself up. Stumbling and just hoping not to fall. That has been my week so far, but thankfully for me, there was a show on Tuesday night at The Green Room in Minneapolis to help make my entrance back into the real world just a little bit easier.

Spiderlily, the first of four local bands to take the stage, was a completely new name to me on Tuesday night, but within the first song, I wanted to know everything there was to know about this band. Their alternative rock sound was interesting and fresh. It was unlike anything else happening in the Twin Cities right now, and it definitely had me sold. Although a fresh and new feeling sounds overall, there was an old soul behind this band. Some of that was in the vocals, some in the instrumentation, and I feel like it gave this band just enough razzle-dazzle to catch me a bit harder and quicker than other new local bands. Don’t get me wrong, I love every band in the Twin Cities music scene and feel like everyone brings a new flavor and taste to the scene, but there was just something so unique and unapologetically ‘Spiderlily’ about this band, and I just truly could not get enough. There were moments when I was definitely getting a bit of a 70s-styled psychedelic rock kind of vibe from this group, but those moments were interrupted by a Vampire Weekend-styled jangle, creating a swirling of two clashing worlds that shouldn’t work well together, yet, with the genius of this band, worked perfectly.

It wasn’t just the sound of Spiderlily that got me hooked; it was also their charm. Although clearly young, all of the members felt perfectly comfortable on stage and like they had been doing this for decades. They came off as professional and on a mission to get people in the audience hooked (mission accomplished), but they also had a playful energy about them. This came into the spotlight when they did a cover of Cake’s “The Distance.” Not only was it a unique cover choice, but they also had fun with it by replacing the horns scattered throughout the song with a kazoo. It was such a small moment in their dynamic set, but it was a moment that really let me see this band for who they are and left me wanting so much more.

Following Spiderlily was a local favorite of mine- anni xo. I’ve covered anni quite a bit over the past couple of years and still just can not get enough. anni and their amazing band were up to their usual game of stealing hearts and taking names. There’s something so raw and exposed about anni’s songwriting, but the overall experience of watching anni xo feels more meditative than emotionally overwhelming. I don’t know how they do it. I don’t know how they are able to present such heartbreaking, real, and stunning words without making tears swell up in the eyes of everyone watching them, but they do it and then some by leaving viewers absolutely enamored and slightly in shock.

Much like Spiderlily, anni xo was quick to show their charm on stage. As they often do, there was a race between anni and their keyboardist as to who could finish the fastest. Would it be anni tuning their guitar or the keyboardist chugging a tall boy of Hamm’s? I’ve seen them do this before, and although I don’t think anni has ever won this, it’s always fun to see the two battle it out. This has nothing to do with the actual sound or set of anni xo so why am I telling you this? Because, like the kazoo used by Spiderlily, this moment just brings this band back down to earth amid a set that seems to leave your head in the clouds in a way and I just love to see some realness shine through in a set that feels almost too perfect for a local band.

I know I just saw Of the Orchard at the beginning of this year, but, after not seeing them since 2019 prior to that, I’m ready to see this band night after night if given the chance. Why is that? Because this band is just so stinking fun, and that was absolutely in the spotlight on Tuesday night at The Green Room. Although I felt like they had leaned into a more pop-rock kind of sound when I saw them in January, I felt that on Tuesday, they leaned all the way into a pop-punk vibe, and I was absolutely here for it. Their songs were bright and poppy with no shortage of infectious beats to get your blood pumping and your head nodding, but at the same time, there was a sense of depth behind everything this band did. Sure, it was fun, but when you get into the lyrics and the emotion that Of the Orchard clearly puts into these party-like jams, you realize that this band sure does have a lot to say, and everything they have to say is worth your attention as much as it will make you relate to this group.

At one point during Of the Orchard’s set, vocalist Ben Vanden Boogaard made a comment about the Taylor Swift wedding. I can’t remember exactly what was said, but it was something to the extent of asking the audience if they thought the impending wedding between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce was actually real. The room fell quiet. Not just quiet, silent. The low hum of conversations that had been happening throughout the room ceased, and I swear that you could hear a pin drop. Like the kazoo, like the tuning vs. chugging competition, why am I telling you about this super small moment? Because it was in this moment that I knew I was in the right place and surrounded by my people. Nobody in the room cared about the impending “wedding.” Heck, I’d be willing to say that many people in the room didn’t even know it was happening. That’s not a judgment on Ben. Honestly, I agree with him. I think the whole thing is a farce or publicity stunt of some sort, but again, just a super fun moment that highlighted an already super fun set from Of the Orchard.

Closing out this fabulous Tuesday night local showcase was Bright Young Things. I’ve been in contact with this band for a hot minute. They have invited me out to their shows multiple times, but it just has never worked out– until now. I know it took a hot minute for the stars to align and for me to catch them, but now that I have, I can say that I am hopelessly addicted, and I hope I get to see them a lot more in the near future.

Stylistically, Bright Young Things is very much an indie pop band, but like so many other bands in that category, those two words just do not do their sound justice. There were elements of everything from pop-punk to even a slight retro grit that could be heard throughout the headlining set on Tuesday night. Regardless of what kind of vibe you were getting from any particular moment in their set, you were getting it served with a flawless sense of energy and this stunning feeling of electricity. You know, when you see a band, and there may not be a lot to say about them because they just kind of got up on stage and played without any smoke or mirrors, but there was something about their set that you just could not get enough of? That’s how Bright Young Things hit me, and although I may not have the words to describe why or how I got so hooked by this band on Tuesday night, I have the feeling that they gave me, and that’s something that will absolutely keep me going through this dark and stormy Wednesday.

Okay, I know you were waiting for it. What was the little thing that had nothing to do with the music but brought a sense of charm and personality to Bright Young Things’ set? That would be the fact that they had Wii Boxing playing on the screen above the stage. I’ll be honest, I didn’t pay much attention to the fight that was looping over and over again throughout their set but I did like the touch of throwback energy that seeing this classic Wii game brought to the night and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get home after this show and think about punching out a few rounds of boxing on my own Wii before going to bed.

Getting back into the swing of things after being away for a day or two is rough, but if you find a show like this one that showcases amazing local music at a fantastic local venue, you may be able to get back into it a bit sooner because you are quickly reminded just how amazing home can be. It makes any sense of wanderlust disappear and absolutely makes you feel like this is where you belong.

Line Up:

Spiderlily

anni xo

Of the Orchard

Bright Young Things

Venue: Green Room

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 24

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)-

Spiderlily – 0

anni xo – 4

Of the Orchard – 2

Bright Young Things – 0

Show on Deck – Eric Roberson

Shameless Self Promotion:

Join My Patreon Here!

Buy Me a Coffee (Seriously!)

Check out my playlist HERE!