Girl at the Rock Shows

I got to see a lot of amazing and mind-blowing shows because I grew up in Des Moines, Iowa. I know that sounds so insane because, I mean, come on, Iowa is nothing but- when you think about this flyover state, it makes sense because it is a direct route between the West Coast and larger Midwest cities like Minneapolis and Chicago. From seeing Fall Out Boy in 100-capacity rooms to seeing My Chemical Romance in a roller skating rink, my stories are insane, and I know that it’s something very special. At the same time, being from Iowa, we missed out on a lot of great bands and tours. Some bands stayed true to the flyover state mentality and never stopped by the hallowed grounds of venues like The House of Bricks or Vaudeville Mews. From what I remember, The Matches is one of these bands, so although I was completely obsessed with their 2003 album ‘E. Von Dahl Killed the Locals,’ I don’t recall ever being able to catch this band live until Saturday night at The Varsity Theater in Minneapolis.

Before I talk about being able to cross this monumental band off my bucket list finally, I need to tell you about the opening act, Crooked Teeth. It’s not out of obligation; it’s out of want because I want you all to pay attention to this up-and-coming band. Okay, maybe calling them up-and-coming isn’t quite right. Crooked Teeth has been grinding since at least 2016 (which is when they released their debut EP ‘Out Her, A Lone’), and I’ve been hip to them for a hot minute, but like The Matches, Saturday night was my first time catching them live, and it surely won’t be the last.

Crooked Teeth has a pop-punk-perfect kind of sound. It’s wholly nostalgic with moments that feel super fresh and modern. There’s no denying that this band knows their roots, with all of the nods they give to bands of years gone by throughout their songs, but at the same time, they put spins on those nods that make you hopeful for the future of the pop-punk scene. Their live show was pretty standard. The band stood there and played through their set with a sense of power and ferocity, but there really wasn’t anything super striking about it. That’s not a good or bad thing, just a statement. There was still heart, still fire, but I would have loved it if their jokes between songs had landed just a bit better (or even been heard a bit better, as I feel like the banter between tracks was oddly quiet compared to the actual music) or if they just would have given me some jumps or something to really amp the already excited audience up. Regardless, I enjoyed Crooked Teeth as I knew I would, and I hope to catch them live again in a show that has a bit more intimacy so the band can really shine.

Although I really enjoyed Crooked Teeth, I was at this show for one reason– to cross The Matches off my bucket list. Like I mentioned, their 2003 album ‘E. Von Dahl Killed the Locals’ wasn’t just another album on my shelf; it became an obsession. It was all over the place stylistically. I mean, sure, it was firmly rooted in a pop-punk world, but there was a flair for the dramatic in it and moments of angst along with moments of heart-wrenching tenderness. I was hooked on the album, but I fear that the band never really hooked me beyond that. Don’t get me wrong, I dabbled in the three albums that followed their debut in 2003, but I never got hooked or obsessed with them. It’s not that the band wasn’t good beyond that initial album, but more that that album was just so good that, for me, they could never top it. When they announced this Saturday night show at The Varsity as part of the 20th anniversary tour for their 2006 album ‘Decomposer’, my heart broke a little because it meant it would probably be a playthrough of that album, with just a handful of other tracks thrown in at the end. Truthfully, I thought about not even going. There were a bunch of other amazing shows happening throughout the cities, and I didn’t want to hear ‘Decomposer ‘; I wanted to hear ‘E. Von Dahl Killed the Locals,’ but my gut told me to go. Maybe I wasn’t going to hear my songs, but at least I would finally be able to experience this band in the flesh. I’m so glad I went with my gut.

The band kicked off their set with “Salty Eyes,” the first track from ‘Decomposer,’ but they didn’t just play it; they performed it. Vocalist Shawn Harris wasted no time and instantly went to the barricade and, from there, leaned into the audience to sing this opening track while the other members of this band thrashed and danced throughout the track. This opening definitely caught my attention, and I quickly forgot that I might not even hear the songs I wanted to. When Shawn returned to the stage, there was an issue with the bass. Something wasn’t working and, after a few seconds of controlled panic, Shawn called an audible and led the rest of the band into “Destination: Nowhere Near.” My heart melted. This was a song off my album. Fluke or not, my heart had never been happier. Although the only audible during the set, as far as mixing up the setlist went, the band went on to play ‘Decomposer’ while sneaking in other tracks. I sang my heart out during “Dog-Eared Page” and “Chain Me Free.” I bawled my eyes out (secretly, of course) as the band closed out the set with “Sick Little Suicide.” I didn’t just like hearing these throwbacks to 2003; I loved how the band slid them into the set list. It’s as if they knew that people wanted to hear those classics, and they weren’t about to leave us hanging.

Technical issues seemed to plague The Matches’ set, but it never stopped them. Only one thing stopped the set, and that was an aggressively drunk person in the crowd just a couple of songs in. I didn’t see what happened, but something must have caused a commotion that brought the band to a screeching halt. All I could hear from the crowd was, “Get him out of here!” and “This guy– he needs to go!” Security acted swiftly and got the guy out, but it left a bit of a weird vibe in the room. The Matches read the room and understood the assignment. Shawn asked everyone to get on the ground as a way to “sage” the room. He noted that we are all old and our knees are not what they once were, so he assured the audience that there would not be an epic jump-up or anything like that, but after having the crowd seated for a minute, he told everyone to get up at their own speed. It was charming, cute, and perfect, and just like that, the room had been saged, and it was back to the scheduled programming.

Part of me hates that Saturday night was my first time seeing The Matches live because their show was such a spectacular display of talent, passion, and energy. At the same time, I’m glad that this was my first time seeing them. Their set checked all the boxes. I heard most of the songs I wanted to hear and got to see many sides of this band, from the energized, party side to the more tender, emotional side.

I could have skipped out on this show. I almost did. But, like usual, I went with my gut, and I could not be happier about it because I got to witness what will surely be one of the sets of the year for me. It may have taken me decades but I finally got to cross The Matches off of my bucket list and it was everything I could have asked for and more.

Line Up:

Crooked Teeth

The Matches

Venue: Varsity Theater

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 38

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- 1 Attempted

Pukers- 0

Passed Out People- 0

How Many Times I’ve Seen These Bands Before (or at least how many times I can remember)-

Crooked Teeth – 0

The Matches – 0

Show on Deck – H.E.A.T. / Conan Neutron & the Secret Friends / Battery Eyes

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