Girl at the Rock Shows

Where did the weekend go? I know that’s how it feels every time Monday rolls around, but today felt especially hard to wrap my head around because the weekend had been so good. I got to spend some time with my brother, his wife, and baby niece. I got to experience the magic of the Minnesota State Fair, and I spent most of my Saturday at a lovely local music festival celebrating the birthday of a local legend and a true inspiration to me. By the time Sunday rolled around, I was determined to get caught up on work and cleaning, but when push came to shove, all I could find the energy to do was sit on the couch. I was disappointed in myself because I knew I had so much to do, but it was the restful kind of day I so badly needed, and I knew that chilling all day would leave me enough energy to make it to Zhora Darling on Sunday night. Although I was ready and excited for the show, I’d be lying if I said leaving the house was easy, but I’m glad I did it because Sunday night’s show was one of those feel-good kinds of shows and a good reminder of just how amazing and eclectic the local music scene is.

Bev was first up. Although a local group that seems to play out consistently, this was my second time experiencing their magic and, truthfully, the first time didn’t even count. My first encounter with Bev was at Palmer’s as part of Front Row Paul Fest. That was a whirlwind of a weekend where every band only got about fifteen minutes on stage, so it was like just getting a taste of each act. My taste of Bev was lovely, and I was excited to get the full meal on Sunday night. Bev’s sound is very chill, but there’s an angst that comes through in the vocals from time to time, adding the perfect amount of spice to their sound. Even with those moments of spice, there was something very easy about Bev’s sound that soothed my heart. It wasn’t hard to fall into the world that each song of Bev’s would take you to, but it also wasn’t hard to fall out of them and come back to reality. That may not sound like a compliment, but I assure you, it is. It’s as if this band knew exactly how long every song should be to give you a full journey before placing you back firmly on the ground. Each journey that made up their set seemed more intricate and beautiful than the last, and by the end, I felt like I had seen and heard so many amazing and beautiful things.

Following Bev was a set from the much more rambunctious The Dirty Pretty. A queer duo from right here in the Twin Cities, The Dirty Pretty is quickly becoming a favorite act of mine. Not only are the members of this group some of the nicest people around, but their sound both delights and challenges you all at the same time. Sonically, The Dirty Pretty have this noise-inspired kind of grunge sound that is abrasive and in your face, but also ridiculously catchy at times and, at other times, perfectly chaotic. I love the heart that both members of this group play with. Although you may not know where a particular song is going, it’s not hard for The Dirty Pretty to give you the confidence to follow their lead and let them lead you down whatever path they want to lead you down. From funny songs about wildly inappropriate topics to songs that carried a bit more of a political weight to them, The Dirty Pretty is a group that has something to say and, if you ever get a chance to see them live, I’m willing to bet that you will have no choice but to listen to them because of their insane power and talent.

The Lamellas was not only a new name to me, but a new name to a friend who performed with Bev. I would say that the two of us are pretty hip to the local scene, so we were both a bit confused as to how we had never even heard of this band before, let alone seen them live. In my mind, I tried to justify this under the radar by convincing myself that they are just a super new band, but after digging into them a bit more this morning, I realized that’s not true. Regardless of how they flew under my radar for so long, I see them now, and I know that this will not be the last time I talk about them. Their sound was that perfect kind of retro rock sound. It was a no-frills sound full of great solos and grunge-inspired vocals. I’ll be honest, after about a song or two, I felt like I knew what the rest of the set was going to be. It was solid, but there just wasn’t much of a spark for me to really fall head over heels. That’s when the trio on stage invited an additional vocalist to the stage to round out their sound. This is when everything changed with this band. Adding this other vocalist didn’t just bring more words and a different tone to their sound; it brought an energy that was organically electric. Watching this super talented individual dance and sing their way through the rest of the set definitely added the spark I needed to keep The Lamellas in the front of my mind.

Closing out Sunday night’s show at Zhora Darling was Ohio-based Naked Eye. Although I knew nothing about this act, I was super excited to see what they were all about as I met the mastermind behind this one-person project early on in the night. Although I like to keep a pretty low profile, it wasn’t hard to pick me out of the crowd here, as it was a pretty lightly attended show and I was the only one with cameras strapped to me. The person behind the project quickly came up to me, introduced themselves, and thanked me for coming. It was a very sweet interaction, and it just had me even more intrigued and ready to see what they are all about.

Okay, one-person bands are not quite my thing. I don’t know that I’ve ever actually said it like that, but I just don’t have the patience or the taste for a million backing tracks and just one person on stage. I know that sounds bratty, but I won’t apologize for it. I also can’t tell you why this is. There are plenty of recorded acts that I listen to on the daily that are just one person but sound like a whole band. How is that different than seeing it live? Who the heck knows, and I’m not going to try to dive into it, but I was a bit unimpressed when I realized that Naked Eye was a solo-ish act. I prepared myself for disappointment but, thankfully, that disappointment never came.

Naked Eye ruled the stage and the room with an iron fist. They commanded your ears and eyes with ease, taking over the entire stage with movement and pouring their sound out of the speakers. When it comes to the overall sound of this act, I would say it’s very much garage rock. It’s not quite punk, but it definitely has a punk nod. It’s not quite new-wave, but the drum machine’s tone, which helped Naked Eye present the sounds that make up their overall sound, gave it an almost 80s synth-rock, new-wave kind of feel. If I’m being honest, the sound wasn’t 100% my thing. Again, it goes back to me not wanting to just hear a machine through speakers and rather wanting to hear real people, but there was something about this act that made it possible for me to look past it. Naked Eyes’ energy and conviction sold me. It felt like they didn’t care what you thought about their music; that wasn’t going to stop them from giving you everything they had, and, in return, I felt like I wanted to give Naked Eye everything I had.

Full disclosure, there weren’t many people at this show. I get it. It was a Sunday night; the state fair is happening, and kids are getting ready to go back to school. There’s a lot going on, but then again, when isn’t there a lot going on? So why weren’t you there? I know you all didn’t go to the fair on Sunday, so what was your excuse? Life is too short not to go to the show, and Sunday night’s show was the perfect example of how just a couple of hours spent at a local music venue can take you on a million different journeys and set you up for success when it comes to kicking off a new work week. So why weren’t you there?

Line Up:

Bev

The Dirty Pretty

The Lamellas

Naked Eye

Venue: Zhora Darling

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 35

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Dance-ability- 1 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)-

Bev – 1

The Dirty Pretty – 2

The Lamellas – 0

Naked Eye – 0

Show on Deck – Velahsa

Shameless Self Promotion:

Join My Patreon Here!

Buy Me a Coffee (Seriously!)

Check out my playlist HERE!