Listen To That Voice Inside Your Head, It Won’t Guide You Wrong

Amerigrass – a combination of American and bluegrass. Neither of those things are quite my normal cup of tea, but here in the Twin Cities local music scene, you don’t question things like that. You go to the local show because, regardless of the genre, you’re in for a night of amazing music, and that was absolutely the case on Saturday night at The Hook & Ladder Theater & Lounge.

The audience was eased into the night with a solo acoustic performance from Emmy Woods on the small stage that welcomes you the second you walk into the main room of this event complex. Typically, it’s a bit awkward to walk in and find yourself right in front of a performer, but something about Emmy instantly made you feel warm and cozy in the space, whether you were familiar with it or not. Her beautiful voice and heartfelt vocals rang through the room and instantly sank into your soul. There’s power behind Emmy’s songs, but when she spoke between them, there was something almost shy and timid about it. It’s not that she wasn’t willing to bare her soul when speaking to the audience, as she did in her songs. In fact, I feel like you got to know her from the songs but really saw her heart between, but there was just something so calm and peaceful about it all, especially between songs, and it absolutely set the stage for a night where every performer would be leaving a little piece of their heart on the stage, and every audience member would be leaving a little piece of their heart behind at the show. Emmy would go on to play a few tracks between all of the performers and, although that gave the vibe of her being more of a transitional character of the night, it wasn’t hard for her to become a main attraction of the night in a perfect way.

Following Emmy Woods’ intro was a stunning set from Ross Thorn. Out of all of the names on the bill for this show, this was the only one I didn’t know, but as soon as he and his band started their set, I felt like I had known them for a hundred years. Like Emmy and the performers to come, there was an undeniable sense of depth to Ross’ sound and songs, but it was blended with this perfect dose of humor that didn’t always land with the audience, and that’s what made it so perfect. Between the jokes about growing up in small-town Wisconsin with an excavator dad (which means he, by default, was also the gravedigger in town, which led to a joke that I found hilarious but didn’t seem to land), Ross was singing about small-town things but making them feel like larger-than-life stories. My favorite track of his was called “Meet Me in St. Louis.” The St. Louis referenced in the title and lyrics isn’t St. Louis, Missouri; it’s St. Louis County in Minnesota, where the boundary waters are. The track was a call to action, a warning of what’s to come, and an ode to the most beautiful part of our state (and, no, that’s not up for debate). Although every song Ross played was heartfelt, this one stung beautifully and was a standout of the set.

Rich Mattson and the Northstars are local legends, and it’s a name I see time and time again; yet somehow, Saturday night was my first time seeing this act. What in the heck kind of rock have I been living under? Like the rest of the night, Rich and his band definitely had an Americana and bluegrass influence in their sound, but there was also something a bit more rock-based about it, which I instantly latched onto. With seven full-length albums, Rich definitely had more than enough material to choose from when curating his setlist on Saturday night. I didn’t care what he was playing, as I was in awe not only of the talent and love I was watching, but also that this was my first time experiencing it. The rest of the audience was clearly in love with the choices. Every song the band played during their set seemed to be a favorite of the audience. That being said, when you have a tried-and-true local legend like this, is there even such a thing as a bad song or a B-side? I digress. Long story short, it took me years to finally see Rich Mattson & The Northstars live, and Saturday may have been my first time, but it surely won’t be my last.

Closing out the AmeriGrass festivities was Maygen & The Birdwatcher. Although I’ve had the honor of seeing this band a couple of times now, I can not get enough of it, so I was so excited to have another chance. Absolutely situated in a folk-rock-meets-AmeriGrass kind of world, this group’s music is somehow calm and exhilarating at the same time. It’s the kind of music that will make you sway to the beat but also give you a burst of energy, with a sway that’s maybe just a bit more dramatic than most bands in this genre-world will force on you (in the most polite way possible). With Maygen at the helm and her super-smooth yet very emotive vocals, this band is tighter than tight, but even so, their charisma and playfulness shine throughout the set. Maybe it’s a small smile shot across the stage, or maybe it’s a nod to a particular audience member; Maygen & The Birdwatcher don’t just perform a set for their fans and anyone who is watching them; they give you a show that makes you feel like you are somehow front and center of it all, and that leads to a super magical kind of night.

I can’t tell you what songs Maygen & The Birdwatcher played. Part of that is because I don’t know song titles from this group well enough to be able to call them out, but the other part of that was because, like usual, I was balancing between two worlds and seeing two shows in the same night, so my night was split between this room and the smaller Zen Arcade stage just down the hallway. I felt bad having to bounce between the two worlds, but it also added an element to my night that I felt was super special. Something would happen every time I would re-enter the room; Maygen & the Birdwatcher was playing. It wasn’t just that I instantly felt welcome back in the room; it was that I felt like I was wanted there. I know that’s not necessarily the case. I mean, it was, but at the same time, nobody really noticed if I was in the room or not. I guess what I’m trying to say is that the amount of love felt during Maygen & the Birdwatcher’s set and this show in general was insane and made for a truly lovely way to spend half of my Saturday night.