Girl at the Rock Shows

I have a habit of judging bands off of their name and/or promo photos. I’m not proud of it, but at the same time, it has led me to some amazing shows. From seeing acts like Yungblud and Billie Eilish in a 250-capacity room to discovering bands like ALEXSUCKS and Model/Actriz, judging a band by its name or flyer has worked out for me. It’s not always that way. I’ve definitely stumbled into shows that I didn’t necessarily love by using this method, but more often than not, it works in my favor, and that was definitely the case when it came to Monday night’s show at The 7th Street Entry in downtown Minneapolis.

Chico, California-born Armed For Apocalypse was the first band to take the stage on Monday night. Although their time on said stage was super short, it was beyond mighty. Sonically, this group had a very metalcore kind of vibe, but there were influences that ranged from thrash to hardcore to sludge hidden in their intense sound. Although they were the first band in a three-band lineup, they didn’t hold back. They knew the assignment was to get the crowd amped and ready for what was to come, and they nailed it. I hadn’t heard this band before this show, so I can’t speak to their recordings or how their live show translates to them, but I can say the perfection that rang through the speakers throughout their set had me floored. Every note didn’t just have a place in every song; it could be heard. Although intense, heavy, and at times slightly chaotic, I never felt Armed For Apocalypse’s sound was muddy. Everything about their sound and performance was crystal clear and flawless, and that made a great way to open this Monday night show.

It was love at first song for the next band to grace the 7th Street Entry Stage. Squint is a bit of a supergroup out of the Missouri scene. Although I’m not familiar with the bands some of these members come from, like New Lives, Soul Craft, and Choir Vandals, it was quickly clear that their past bands and experiences have shaped them into a formidable group you can’t ignore. Much like Armed For Apocalypse, I felt like Squint’s sound was a bit all over the place, but it was mostly rooted in a hardcore-influenced world that made my heart sing. At times, their vibe reminded me of Militarie Gun, and at other times I got a fuzzed-out, indie-rock jangle that felt more like bands like Mclusky. It didn’t matter what vibe I was picking up on; this band slammed through their set with a sense of fury and fire that made you fall to your knees and bow down to their greatness.

So how in the world was this a “wild card” show for me when I was clearly enamored with two out of the three acts? Well, I had never heard of the headlining act, The Barbarians of California, before, but I mean, come on. Could you pass up seeing a band with a name that epic? Everything about this show so far had been up my alley, but would that trend continue with the headliner? Or did I set myself up for failure by judging a band by their name?

When I say AWOLNATION, what do you think of? If you’re like me, you think of “Sail.” It’s not the worst song ever, but I would consider it a bit of a guilty pleasure. It’s a bit too mainstream and outside my norm to be a staple on my daily playlists. Truthfully, I never really got into that band beyond that song. I felt like “Sail” was AWOLNATION, and AWOLNATION was “Sail,” so I just never paid that much attention. Maybe that’s on me. Maybe I should dig a bit deeper into that group and not write them off because of that obnoxiously catchy single (emphasis on “obnoxious”). Why am I telling you about AWOLNATION right now? Well, small world: AWOLNATION’s vocalist, Aaron Bruno, is also the frontman of The Barbarians of California.

I was shocked when I learned this and, truthfully, didn’t really believe it at first. The sound and energy I got on Monday night from The Barbarians of California seemed like the opposite of AWOLNATION. It was relentless and heavy. Hardcore-influenced metal with plenty of moments where gang vocals reigned supreme, and the familiar phrase, “This is your stage too!” rang out from the speakers. Bodies and limbs were flying all over the place, and at multiple points during the night, you could find crowd surfers spider-manning their way across the rafters lining the ceiling. It was mass chaos and music to my ears, but it wasn’t what I expected from anyone or anything associated with AWOLNATION.

This was one of those sets where I couldn’t find the energy or attention to pick my jaw off the ground. It just sat there as I tried to take in every single note of every single song. Unfortunately, being the concert addict I am, I was a little late getting to their set because I was also covering the concert happening just a few feet away at First Avenue’s mainroom. This meant, due to this show being sold-out or mere tickets away from being sold-out, I was stuck in the back of the venue and couldn’t get super great photos (as you’ll see), but I kind of loved that. I stood on the edge of the venue like the edge of a cliff and just took it all in. Every blast of cool air that came from someone tapping out and stepping outside to get a breath of fresh air before plunging back into the bowels of the pit. Every fist in the air that I got to see, passionately punching at the air to the infectious beat of the songs. Every body that went up into the air and took a quick journey around the canopy of the crowd, then fell back into the audience as if being folded into a cake recipe or something. I took it all in and did it all with a perma-smile.

I may have never heard of The Barbarians of California before this moment, but in that moment, I was in love and felt like I had known this band my whole life because the energy they gave me was electrifying and unifying. Nobody in that room cared that I had never heard of this band before. I didn’t care if there were people in this room who had been listening to this band for ages or were big AWOLNATION fans and had stumbled into this show purely because of the association. All that mattered was that you were there in that time and place and you were enjoying the moment. Period.

I picked this show based on a whim and convenience. I was already going to be upstairs at the First Avenue mainroom for a show and figured, why the hell not? Add in a name like The Barbarians of California, and I just couldn’t resist. I’m glad I went for it. I’m glad my addiction to live music is out of control because what I experienced at the 7th Street Entry on Monday night may be one of the shows of the year for me.

Line Up:

Armed For Apocalypse

Squint

The Barbarians of California

Venue: 7th Street Entry

Smell-O-Meter: Sweat and Heat

Average Age of the Crowd: 32

Crowd Surfers- 9 Counted

Stage Divers- 2

Mosh-ability- 13 out of 10

Amount of Beer Spilled On Me While Walking Around- $0

Broken Bones- None

Spotted Flying Through The Air- Bodies

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)-

Armed For Apocalypse – 0

Squint – 0

The Barbarians of California – 0

Show on Deck – Frozen Crown / Visions of Atlantis / Kamelot

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