Girl at the Rock Shows

I went from not going to Amsterdam Bar & Hall in Saint Paul for months to going to two shows there in about a week. Words can’t describe how happy that makes me. I love all of my venues throughout the Twin Cities, but this one holds a special place in my heart because it was one of the OG places I used to visit when I was still in college. Although some of the faces have changed, some have stayed the same, and something about walking into this place to see a local show has always just felt right. That felt right along with everything else on Thursday night, which set the stage for a truly perfect celebration of some of the local talent that the Twin Cities features, and it all started with True Green.

True Green is a local project based around Dan Hornsby. Dan isn’t just a musician, Dan is also a novelist, and that really came through loud and clear throughout True Green’s quick opening set. The instrumentation was fairly sparse, with just guitars and a buddy on keys, but the vocals made True Green’s sound feel like the ocean. There was depth with every word and a sense of emotion attached to each syllable. At the same time, there was something oddly light about their set. I don’t quite have the words to describe exactly what I want, but basically, I found myself swimming in the ocean of True Green’s words while having one of those super chill, super good times listening to everything else. I don’t know if I loved it or hated it. There were moments when the hollowed instrumentation almost took an avant-garde turn, making it a bit hard for me to focus, but this would only last for a second or two before the duo hooked me back into their beautiful soundscape. This was my first time with True Green, but they left me with enough intrigue that I can say with certainty this will not be my last time with them.

The last time I saw Chairman Chair and the Chairmen was all the way back in 2023. Where in the heck has time gone? This band had me sold that night, but due to my insane schedule and the fact that the Twin Cities are so oversaturated with amazing music and concerts, I haven’t had the chance to revisit them since then, until now. They were the next band to take the stage on Thursday night and, just like that first time, they had me instantly hooked. Sonically, this band is all over the place. Some moments feel like Gogol Bordello, moments that feel like AJJ, some songs are fast, some slow, some are rockin’, some are a bit more low-key. The only things that remained constant throughout their set were their talent and heart. I am all about the lyrics when it comes to this band. It’s like listening to some of the dryest humor you’ve ever seen in folk-punk-leaning sound. My personal favorite was their song about wanting a “cool girl,” but the “cool girl” is either already taken or isn’t interested in you. Okay, you have to hear the song, but this is the kind of band that doesn’t just make you laugh; they make you feel joy and reality, and I really love that. I know it took me three years to revisit this band, but I promise I won’t let that happen again. This band deserves a lot more attention than they seem to be getting right now, and I plan to give it to them.

Up next was supposed to be Ditch Pigeon (it was their album release show), but I was a bit confused as I saw a familiar face take the stage that wasn’t Ditch Pigeon. I’ll speak more on this in a hot minute, but Ditch Pigeon was in a larger-than-life form on Thursday night, meaning they came in the form of a massive band. Part of that band was a local act called “*Splash!*,” and the audience was treated to just a few songs from *Splash!* and Ditch Pigeon vocalist Hayley Anne. It was just three songs with a very Moldy Peaches vibe. The songs didn’t take long to perform, but the way they set the stage for what was to come next could not have been more perfect. It turns out that not only was this a surprise for the audience, but being asked to play a quick set was a last-minute thing for *Splash!* as well. This added to the love and joy, which were themes throughout the evening, and was just a complete treat.

My one and only time seeing Ditch Pigeon before Thursday night was back in February of 2025 at Pilllar Forum in Northeast Minneapolis. Although I loved what I heard, I wasn’t overly impressed that night. Ditch Pigeon was in the form of a duo, and I felt that vocalist Hayley Anne clearly had the talent, but was much too shy and timid to really command my attention. Don’t get me wrong, Hayley had me hooked with her tone and words, but there was just nothing show-wise to really get me hooked. Fast-forward to Thursday night, and imagine my surprise as Ditch Pigeon stormed the stage as a massive eight-piece band complete with various familiar faces that I knew from other acts in town. My heart skipped a beat. I already knew that this was going to be a special show for Ditch Pigeon as it was the celebration of their new album ‘Chronic Burger Vision,’ but I didn’t expect to be so taken aback by just the sheer amount of talent that had just entered the stage. It took me a second to get my bearings as this was not at all what I was expecting, but this band refused to give me that second and jumped right into an album playthrough of the new release.

I was instantly lost in Ditch Pigeon’s world. The massive band was creating such beautiful soundscapes, and I loved how elements of the band would pop in and out here and there, allowing Hayley to really lead the set. From epic sax solos to beautiful duets between cello and violin, there was just so much going on, yet everything was perfectly placed and layered so you could hear it all. It felt a bit like a kaleidoscope, where there was the main sound; if you shifted your ears ever so slightly, you would hear it evolve into something new. It was fascinating. It was transfixing. It was perfect and, at the front of it all, you had Hayley. I’m not sure if something changed in Hayley or if something changed in me, but this amazing vocalist was born to be a front person. Hayley effortlessly created this warm and inviting space among the larger-than-life sound that was coming from the rest of the band. The final song they played on Thursday night was not one from the album, so I couldn’t tell you the name of it, but it had a very gypsy-punk kind of controlled chaos to it. I loved that, in the middle of it all, both figuratively and literally, was Hayley. Like the calm that happens in the eye of a storm, Hayley stayed calm while the notes from everyone else swirled around, creating such a beautiful and powerful image, sound, feeling… everything. A huge congrats to Ditch Pigeon on a stunning album release show, amazing album, and just being a band that makes me excited about this local scene and what all it has to offer, and what is surely to come.

The night didn’t end with Ditch Pigeon. Although it was their album release show, they had one more treat in store for the audience, and that treat was Dead Larry. This is one of those bands whose name has been floating around the scene for years, but I’ve never actually been out to see them live. What a freaking mistake that has been. Right off the bat, this band reminded me of Will Wood and the Tapworms. I know, obscure call-out, if you know, you know, if you know, you know how major it is that I am saying that a local band reminded me of Will Wood. It was glittery chaos. It was music that made you want to dance and lyrics that made you smile. Although the audience was thinning with the ticking of the clock, the people who had stuck around seemed to be hexed into a dance. It wasn’t the same dance for everyone, but that didn’t matter. This band makes you dance in any way you want to, and the brilliant thing about a Dead Larry set is that there’s no judgment. Just like their music has a very quirky element, so does their audience, and it created the perfect atmosphere to close out the night. I want to tell you so much more about this band because they were great. I also know I’ve already talked your ears off with all the amazing music that happened on Thursday night, so I guess I’ll have to see Dead Larry again sooner rather than later so I can really dive into their sound, in the hopes that you actually read it.

It felt good to go back to my roots at Amsterdam Bar & Hall in Saint Paul. It felt good to be a local show that highlighted quirky and amazing original music. It felt good to meet some new people and see some familiar faces all at the same time. Long story short, Thursday night felt good.

Line Up:

True Green

Chairman Chair and the Chairmen

*Splash!*

Ditch Pigeon

Dead Larry

Venue: Amsterdam Bar & Hall

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 31

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Dance-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)-

True Green – 0

Chairman Chair & The Chairmen – 1

*Splash!* – 0

Ditch Pigeon – 1

Dead Larry – 0

Show on Deck – Matt Gold / Dustin Laurenzi / Alpha Consumer

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