Girl at the Rock Shows

Saturday night at the First Avenue main room was amazing, but it didn’t completely satisfy me. Don’t get me wrong, the line-up was stellar (arguably one of the best line-ups so far this year) and the energy was on point inside the main room, but it was lacking that local touch that I love and crave. Luckily for me, that flavor of show was happening just a few steps away at the smaller, more intimate First Avenue-owned venue, the 7th Street Entry, and I knew, although it would be a lot of back and forth, I could get the best of both worlds.

I love local shows because they typically blend familiar favorites and new stars. That was absolutely the case on Saturday night at the Entry. My night down there started off with one of those new stars – Syncline. I know I’ve called bands “infectiously bouncey” in the past, but I take all of that back. Syncline was literally bouncy in every sense of the word. Not only was their indie-pop sound super fun and upbeat, which made you want to bounce around the audience, but I also don’t think there was a single moment during their quick opening set when the members themselves weren’t bouncing around. Although the first band in a four-band line-up, Syncline didn’t hold back and gave the audience everything they had. It was almost an everything to prove, nothing to lose kind of attitude, but it didn’t feel that desperate. Syncline somehow made working their butts off feel, sound, and look infectiously fun. I
don’t know where this band has been hiding or how I’ve been sleeping on them, but after their set on Saturday, they absolutely have my attention and my heart.

Syncline was a hard act to follow, and, truthfully, I think having to follow them made Call Me Fritz’s set feel just ever so slightly disappointing to me. The energy wasn’t as on point when it came to this second band, and I feel like the sense of infectious fun kind of fell to the wayside, but something that didn’t change was the talent I heard from the stage. Formed in 2023, this local trio continued with the indie-pop sound that Syncline had started the night off with and expanded on it. They seemed to bring a bit more emotion and a bit more seriousness to the stage, but carried on with the spark of love and passion that Syncline had lit. I thought I had this band figured out within just a song or two and started to wonder if it was my time to turn back to the main room to see what was going on up there, but that’s when they hit the audience with a flawless cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Fire.” Not only did they perform it with a sense of ferocity that seemed to breathe a new life into the classic song, but they also showed that they are so much more than just the cute indie-pop band I had thought they were with the first few songs. Like Syncline, Call Me Fritz is a new-to-me local band, and this was my first time seeing them perform, but I truly hope it won’t be the last.

The Dalmatian Club is a local band that I feel is subtly taking over the local scene. They have been doing their thing since 2022, and although I feel like there are a lot of bands that have come up and exploded since 2022, I feel like The Dalmatian Club is taking more of a slow-burning approach, and it’s working for them. I remember the first time I saw them in November of 2023. I liked their Vampire Weekend meets Hippo Campus kind of sound, but don’t recall much about their show. Reading back in that post, I realize that their overall performance just didn’t do it for me. Clearly, this band has grown since then because they had me hooked not just by their music, but also by their performance on Saturday night. It was the same kind of sound with a few more intricacies in it. It was definitely indie-pop, and I still got that Vampire Weekend meets Hippo Campus kind of vibe, but I felt that there was a bit more depth to their sound than I remember. There were stunning dynamics that took you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions, and it was all presented with a sense of love and admiration for the audience. Although this band was clearly showcasing their talent on the small stage, it was also clear that they were doing it for the audience, the fans, and their friends, and I just loved how that translated into their set.

Saturday night’s show at the 7th Street Entry wasn’t just a show, it was a celebration for one of my favorite local bands – Pullstring. This was a release party for Pullstring’s new EP ‘Growing Pains.’ You could feel that in the air. I literally just saw this band last weekend at Taste of Minnesota. I know that was a completely different setting and under completely different circumstances, but as soon as I walked into the Entry and saw the band’s elaborate stage setup, I knew they weren’t messing around for this show. The first thing that caught my eye was this giant skeleton wearing a Pullstring jersey situated towards the back of the stage. There were lamps all over the stage (which was a blessing for me, as there had been very little light for the previous three bands, hence the lack of stellar photos), giving the room an almost-feels-like-home vibe. Honestly, it felt like walking into a whole new venue compared to the previous three sets, and I was here for it.

That’s one of the things I love about this band. Their songs have become familiar to me through seeing them live often and jamming along at work, because their indie-rock sound is just that good, but I feel like they always find a way to make their set special. Maybe it’s a surprise engagement (yes, that happened at one of their shows at Zhora Darling), or maybe it’s some funny outfits or a little schtick that the band performs on stage. I feel like this band puts thought into every one of their shows, so you can see them time and time again without getting bored. Another thing I love about this group is how, although I hear some of the same songs every time I see them, they seem to tweak them. Maybe it’s a subtle tweak, or maybe it’s a complete overhaul, but it’s clear that this band won’t settle, and that’s something that I think a lot of bands don’t do. A lot of locals get stuck in their sound, stuck on their songs, and don’t change, even though there’s room for improvement. Pullstring improves on things every time I see them and, because of that, they seem to be aging like a perfect red wine.

I was issued a challenge at this show. I was asked to pick on Pullstring. They called me out for always being positive when I write about them and other bands in the local scene. When they issued this challenge, I was ready for it. I mean, how hard could it be to find some criticism at a show? I’ll admit I hold back some of the time, but that’s because art is art, and even if I don’t understand it, I appreciate it. I’ve now been sitting here for a good hour, wracking my brain about something that I would have changed about their set, and I am still coming up empty. The truth is, there’s nothing to pick on when it comes to this band in my mind. They are doing everything right. They are constantly writing amazing music and playing energized shows that fill my heart with the passion I look for when watching a local band perform. So, Pullstring, I failed, and I am so sorry, but you are truly a local band, perfect through and through in my mind. Your sound, your shows, everything has always hit me so perfectly, and Saturday night was no different.

I spent my Saturday night jumping between two shows, two worlds. One was a punk world of nationally touring acts; the other was a more indie-pop-rock world of local legends. Both worlds were perfect. Why settle for just one show? Why settle for just one style? Why settle at all? I am so lucky to call the Twin Cities home because you can get the best of all worlds in the same night if you just put your mind to it and refuse to settle.

Line Up:

Syncline

Call Me Fritz

The Dalmatian Club

Pullstring

Venue: 7th Street Entry

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 24

Crowd Surfers- None

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 2 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)-

Syncline – 0

Call Me Fritz – 0

The Dalmatian Club – 2

Pullstring – 5

Show on Deck – Jack Johnson/ Hermanos Gutierrez

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