You’re So Stuck In Your Typical Ways

I go to concerts because I love seeing passion on display. I like to see people doing what they love and sharing it with strangers. I love watching an audience full of people singing along to every word and being acknowledged by the performers on stage. Look, life is pretty dark at times; we all know that, so to have a place to escape where it’s just passion, love, and music- I mean, come on, that’s why I’m so addicted. So what happens when that passion isn’t there? What happens when a band just gets on stage, performs, and leaves? What does it say about a band that seems to ignore the audience in a way and doesn’t seem to care? Unfortunately, those are the questions I found myself asking while spending my Tuesday night at The Fine Line in downtown Minneapolis.

I was honestly super excited to see the opening act softly on Tuesday night so was a bit surprised when the venue posted set times and this band wasn’t on the list. I instantly took to social media checking everywhere I could to see if this was just a mistake on the venue’s part or if softly had really dropped off the bill. I didn’t see softly mention anything. The headliner didn’t mention anything on their socials either. On top of all that, First Avenue (the “mothership” of various venues in town, including The Fine Line) doesn’t mess up like this. Still, I was hopelessly optimistic and showed up at 7:30, hoping it was a fluke, rather than showing up at 8 PM right on time to see the headliner. Unfortunately, it was not a fluke and softly had, in fact, not been able to make it to the show. My heart sank. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted to see the headliner too, but I was especially excited for softly and hope that not only are they okay (the headliner mentioned that softly’s van broke down) but that they make another trek back to the Twin Cities so I can see them.

So, no opener. That meant that Tuesday night was a one-band show and, honestly, that was fine by me. I’ve been on a grind lately and knew that with just one band starting at 8 PM, I might actually get home and in bed at a reasonable time. 8 PM came and went. I totally get delays. Things happen, and when you have a last-minute change-up like a band dropping off or a shift in scheduling, it can cause hiccups. Then 8:10 came and went. Okay, things were getting weird and my frustration was starting to grow but, okay, 8:15 start? Nope! 8:15 came and went. That is when I really started to get mad. Look, I know I’m a unicorn. Most people go to a handful of shows a year; I go to a handful a week. Most people don’t care if things run late, and I’m sure half the audience didn’t even know the headliner’s set time was posted as 8 PM, but it was posted, and as someone who does this night after night, those times mean something to me. 8:20 came and went, 8:25 passed by and then, finally, at 8:30, Culture Wars took the stage. Again, I want to stress that I understand I am not a standard concertgoer, but posted times are posted times and, unless it’s a punk show at a punk venue that notoriously runs on punk time, there’s really no reason to push things back so far other than as a power play of sorts, and that was the first strike against this band for me.

Unfortunately, things didn’t really get better for me or my opinion on this band. I was excited to see them live because Culture Wars has such a larger-than-life vibe when you listen to it at home, work, or in your car. It made me wonder whether they could live up to their huge sound with a stage show that matched it. I definitely got the production I was expecting. From the whirling lights to the overall placement of the band members, perfectly staggered across the stage, Culture Wars looked the way I expected it to —flawless and perfect.

When it came to their music, it was also flawless and perfect, but it lacked the heart and passion I so badly wanted to feel —scratch that, I needed to feel. Again, sounded great, but if I want a good-sounding album, I’ll just listen to it at home on my stereo. I go out night after night because most bands sound way different live than they do on recording, and I love that. I love how there’s nothing constant about a live performance. You could see the same band five times in a row and, if they’re doing it right, something would change each time. It felt like nothing changes when it comes to a Culture War show. Again, this is where I have to take some of the blame for this harsh review. I do this night after night. I want different. I want to hear something more than an album, and I want to feel the show, not just see and hear it. For a fan of the band, I could see them fighting me on this and saying that the set was perfect because, well, it was, but again, I urge you to think about what you spent money on. Did you really spend money on a ticket and then continue to spend money on overpriced drinks just to hear an album? Or did you spend all that money so you could see a band you love be themselves and see a whole other side of their music?

Was I just overly crabby on Tuesday night? That’s quite possible. I’m a creature of habit and a planner, so when things don’t go the way I envision them, I often get uncomfortable and a bit bitchy. softly no longer being on the bill sent me on a slight tailspin just because it messed my timing up for Tuesday night. Add the delayed start and, well, let’s just say that I was not a super happy camper. A passionate show may have brought me out of my rut, but truthfully, it just wasn’t there, and Culture Wars didn’t bring that to me. I’m not going to be one of the keyboard warriors out there saying this band is an industry plant (though I did notice a few things that may point that way), but whatever this band is doing, it’s not for me.

I want to apologize to Culture Wars. Okay, maybe apologize isn’t the right word, but I feel like this was a harsh review for them and, outside of starting late, this band did nothing wrong; it just wasn’t for me. I didn’t get what I wanted out of my Tuesday night, and I’m putting the blame on them. Maybe that’s where the blame should be, maybe not; either way, Culture Wars is still a band that’s out there, doing their thing, and doing it well for their standards. I don’t hate them for that or anything else; in fact, I plan on spending more time with their music in the future because I feel like it’s such a cool and unique blend of many things. Maybe this is just one of those bands that I don’t spend much time with in a live setting.