Girl at the Rock Shows

I was having a slight moment when I left my brother’s house on Sunday morning. My mom was in town for a surprise anniversary dinner for my aunt and uncle. I didn’t have much time to give her and her partner while they were in town because I was busy covering all of the Snow & Flurry festival, but I made breakfast happen (even though this meant going on right around three hours of sleep). It was a lovely breakfast, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching my baby niece run around the restaurant with my brother and his wife in tow behind her. When we got back to my brother’s house, it was time for me to pack up my cameras that were charging and head downtown for the festival. As I was leaving, my family was getting ready for a nice walk before watching the Vikings game. My heart kind of sank. Was I making the right call? Was giving up family time for a hardcore festival really the way a thirty-something should act? As I drove downtown, I couldn’t help but wonder if I messed it all up. Did I miss out on a “normal” life? Did I even want a “normal” life? I was spinning out, spiraling into thoughts that always led to an overwhelming sense of existential dread. Then I walked into the Underground Music Cafe & Venue. I breathed in, strapped on my cameras, and claimed my spot on the back wall. I watched kids stream into the venue, ready for the second day of an epic hardcore marathon, and the dread went away. A normal life isn’t for me. This is the life for me. I braced myself for impact with a smile on my face.

Like Saturday, there were a bunch of bands on the bill for Sunday and, naturally, I caught them all, so I’m going to keep this as brief as possible, but please check out and support all of these bands because they each absolutely killed it on Sunday.

Good Morning Guilty – The morning schedule changed slightly, so Good Morning Guilty kicked things off. Starting a festival can’t be easy. People are still just trying to wake up and get into the day, but this band made it look easy. Their balance of heavy and clean vocals was perfect and definitely helped us all ease into the marathon Sunday was about to become.

Wrath of Sanity – Like I mentioned yesterday, I like to give my home state a hard time for being one of the lamest places on the planet, but that’s where Wrath of Sanity comes from, so, really, how lame can it be. This band had some of the most powerful vocals of the day that were highlighted with a super great Hatebreed cover to top off their set.

Sin Sufrir – This was Sin Sufrir’s first time playing in the Twin Cities in about ten years. Being that they are based in Wisconsin, I find this a bit odd, but truthfully, it didn’t affect me because this was a brand new name to me regardless. This did seem to effect everyone else in the crowd because, although still very early on in the day, the audience went off and welcomed these guys with open arms. It may have taken ten years, but I have a sneaking suspicion it won’t be that long before we see Sin Sufrir appear in the Twin Cities again.

Awaiting Eschiel – As the band put it, they are not a moshing band. They urged the audience to inch closer to the stage rather than leaving a giant gap on the floor for said moshers, but people didn’t buy it. Sure, this band may not have been a moshing band like the rest of the lineup, but people still found a way to dance to what they were giving, and it was well deserved because this heavy band felt polished and perfect.

Shits Creek – It’s wild to me that bands flew in for this festival, but why question it? Because this gave me a chance to see Long Island’s finest- Shit’s Creek. This band brought a personality to the stage that couldn’t be beat, and I love that their vocalist spent time down in the audience to close out their set.

Madman – This group was absolutely a standout of Sunday (and the entire festival) for me. Not only was their sound super crispy and intense, but their show also highlighted personality alongside talent. There wasn’t a moment during Madman’s set when I wasn’t smiling, and I know I’m not alone in that.

Passion – Something shifted during Passion’s set on Sunday, and I can’t quite put my finger on it, but the audience wasn’t into it, and the band felt a bit lackluster at best. Don’t get me wrong, the music was great, but the overall energy just felt a bit off during this one, and it ended with a few cheap shots from the band at the audience.

Blistered Spirit – The vocals are this band are to freaking die for. No other way to put it. Like Good Morning Guilty, this band uses both clean and unclean vocals, but Blistered Spirit does it in an almost dramatic way: the unclean is so heavy, and the clean leans into an almost operatic sound.

What Counts – This band had a few fill-ins in their lineup. For various reasons, a few members couldn’t make the gig, so they had friends play instead. Honestly, you’d never have guessed; this band’s set was perfect in both sound and energy.

By All Means – This band closed things out before a quick dinner break. They instantly reminded me of Identity Crisis the first time I saw that band- super, uber young but absolutely flawless with everything to prove and nothing to lose. It was an absolutely perfect set, and I definitely think that this is a band to be keeping an eye on.

Eyes of Sorrow – Some people may have liked a little “ease-in” after the hour-long dinner break, but that’s not what Eyes of Sorrow offered. Instead, they offered a fierce, intense set that instantly plunged the audience back into a sweaty mess of limbs.

Basic Needs – Of all the bands I saw over the weekend, Basic Needs was the one that really spoke to my soul lyrically. Maybe that’s because it was one of the only bands I could fully understand, but I really liked the almost spoken-word vocal approach in this group.

Fleshless Body – I was a bit worried when I noticed that this band shared some members with Passion, a band that seemed to have fallen a bit flat earlier in the day, but fear not. Although the audience needed a bit of warming up, this set eventually turned into a bombastic one like the other sets of the day.

Enervate – This Milwaukee-based band was clearly a favorite, based on how quickly the audience erupted when they took the stage; just a few seconds in, I understood why. Their sound was intense, but it was perfect, and their delivery of said perfection was perfectly abrasive.

Nehemiah – The last time I saw Nehemiah was back in 2018. Although it’s been years, I instantly felt at home in their powerful sound. Featuring two screaming vocalists, the power that Nehemiah brings to a stage is absolutely stunning, and after an extended absence from the scene, it sounds like they are back, and I couldn’t be happier about it.

Contention – Talking to a couple of people at this festival, Contention was definitely one of the hotter tickets on the bill so I was excited to see what they were all about. They didn’t let me down and definitely brought a wave of energy to the super exhausted audience.

Arkangel – By the time the headlining act, Arkangel, took the stage on Sunday, I was delirious. I fell asleep standing up a couple of times throughout the day, but I was determined to see everyone on this lineup. I’m glad I’m stubborn because, though exhausted, seeing this Belgium-based band was the perfect way to end the weekend. They were intense and relentless, and they seemed to care that everyone in the audience was having a good time and getting the best Arkangel set possible.

And there you have it, all thirty-four bands of Snow & Flurry 2026. I have so much more I’d love to say about all the bands that played this amazing festival, but at the end of the day, words don’t put you in that room. My words won’t convey the feeling of community and love that was felt all weekend. Me telling you I could just leave my computer and camera on a bench, knowing they’d be there when I got back from the bathroom or the bar for yet another Red Bull, doesn’t mean much to you, but it means the world to me.

There are so many people to shout out when it comes to this event, and I’m sure I’m going to forget some, but seriously, mad props to everyone at the venue, from the staff to the bartenders to the sound people– thank you for making this event run as smoothly as possible and for being super inviting and friendly. To the organizers of this event – Seriously, bravo. Pulling off a festival is not easy, and you made it look so simple and flawless (although I’m sure that is far from how it went in your mind). To all of the bands from near and far – thank you for bringing your talent and personalities to the stage. To the fans – I mean, wow. Thanks for coming out and showing up. You all reminded me why the hardcore scene has always felt like a home to me. I don’t know why I stopped getting involved, but after the love and support you all showed this weekend, I have a feeling that you will be seeing a lot more of me in the future.

Sure, I may not have a “normal” life, and I’m sure that just sitting at home to watch the football game with my family would have been great, but this is my life until the day I die. No apologies.