Girl at the Rock Shows

I didn’t know what mood I was in on Monday night, which was perfect since I knew nothing about the show I was about to see. Did I want something calm to help me wind down and recover after my insane weekend at the Snow & Flurry Festival? Or did I need something intense and in-your-face to shock me back to reality after the weekend? Either could have hit the spot, and although sleep and a night in sounded nice, I knew I was craving yet another show (because, as my bio and everywhere else say, I’m addicted). I may not have known what I was getting on Monday night at The Fine Line in downtown Minneapolis, but I knew that my body, mind, and soul were ready for it.

Kicking things off promptly at 7:30 was Nashville-based mercury. Vocalist/guitarist, frontwoman/mastermind Maddie Kerr instantly struck me. There was something mysterious about her. Part of that was that, from my viewpoint, I couldn’t see her face. All I could see was hair that draped over Maddie like a veil. The other part was her voice. It was siren-like. It was high but not abnormally high. It was perfectly toned and, like her look, carried a slight air of mystery. I was hooked, and the band’s overall calming sound sang to my soul. Although calm, there was a wall-of-sound kind of effect to mercury’s sound. It didn’t command your attention like some of the more insane hardcore bands I saw over the weekend, yet you couldn’t turn away. You couldn’t carry a conversation because you didn’t want to miss a single word or note from this group, but nothing about them demanded that from you. Again, it goes back to that aura of mystery—that feeling of seeing and experiencing something truly special. I was floored.

It wasn’t just the vocals that had me hooked here; it was also the musicianship. Although it’s definitely an indie-pop-styled band that leans into everything from folk to dreampop, there were moments when songs turned into epic jams, highlighted by dizzying guitar solos. Every note was crafted with a clear sense of perfection, but at the same time, something about them felt so freely organic. As much as I was hooked on Maddie, I was absolutely captivated by the band behind her, and I had goosebumps throughout their quick opening set. I see a lot of amazing openers night after night, but something felt different here, something special. I think it’s just a matter of time before mercury is headlining shows of this size and larger.

mercury had sealed the deal for me. Their calming and often bewitching sound was just what I needed. Something calm but powerful to help me continue my recovery over the weekend, and I was excited for that vibe to carry into headliner Holywatr. I’ll be honest– I was at this show because of the name and imagery. I knew nothing about what this band was actually about, but knew that their name and the dark imagery that came with it evoked something in me. Truthfully, I figured this would be a bit of a black metal kind of band, or they were being ironic, and this was going to be the poppiest thing I had ever heard. After getting what I got from mercury, I started to think that maybe they would be a dark and ambient kind of bedroom pop band. I was wrong on every single front there, and I couldn’t have been happier about that.

Because I was feeling all cozy after what I had gotten from mercury and the hauntingly beautiful solo piano music that was pumping through the speakers between sets, I was a bit shocked as Holywatr stormed the stage and instantly hopped into something much more intense and insane. That said, it took me less than three seconds to pep up and feel like I had known this band my whole life. They had a sound that was unique but still felt familiar. From insane metalcore-style breakdowns to boy-band-inspired, infectious choruses, this band was all over the place, and I instantly fell in love.

Watching Holywatr perform was like looking deep inside my mind. Those moments of intensity and breakdowns were highlighted by strobe lighting and an audience ready to get a bit wild, but when you thought the room was going to completely erupt, the band would chill out and shift into a super tender, beautiful moment. The lights would soften, and the audience that had just been a sweaty ball of people pushing and shoving would instantly calm into a crowd of swaying hearts. It was wild, it was bipolar, it was all over the place, it was just like my head on any given day. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at this thought, but I know it was one of the many reasons I felt instantly connected to this band.

It wasn’t just energy that Holywatr has nailed; they have nailed what it means to be a perfectly polished live band. I’ll be honest: I’m not a huge fan of bands that rely on backing tracks to fill out their sound or make their live set sound like a recording, because I go to shows to hear something different. I want to hear mistakes; I want to hear what it really sounds like when a band plays their songs without any outside help. I didn’t get that from Holywatr but, for some reason, I was okay with it. The added tracks and the perfection of their sound overall really helped introduce me to their world. Maybe my take would have been different if I knew more about the band, because then I would hold them to the same standard I hold other bands I see live, but I digress. No matter how much I wanted to hate the moments where the sound pumping through the speakers felt a bit more over-produced than I liked, I couldn’t. The band was selling it, and I was buying it.

I didn’t know what to expect when walking into The Fine Line on Monday night, but I also didn’t know what I wanted. Did I need a calm and chill night? Or did I want an explosive and exciting night? Those were the wrong questions to ask when arriving at the show. The real question was how many times could I fall in love in one night, and that answer is twice- once with mercury, once with Holywatr.

Line Up:

mercury

Holywatr

Venue: Fine Line

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 18

Crowd Surfers- Stopped counting at 6 because I was more interested in paying attention to the stage

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 6 out of 10

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

Broken Bones- None

Spotted Flying Through The Air- A few bodies, a few drinks

Fights- None

Pukers- 0

Passed Out People- 0

Celebrity Sightings – None

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

mercury – 0

Holywatr – 0

Show on Deck – Silly Goose / Cheem / MUTTLEE

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