SCENE REPORT: MINNEAPOLIS

RECAP OF THE MINNEAPOLIS STOP ON THE EIY SPRING (INTO ACTION) TOUR

First Ave / 7th St Entry in Minneapolis is another legendary venue that I’ve never gotten to visit before, so I was excited for this show before we even got there. I definitely wasn’t expecting to see so many truly talented bands in one night! The meet-up was a good mix of bands and music supporters, although the non-musicians in attendance seemed to be a little bit more “lost” than those in attendance at other meet-ups. The bands are all extremely active in their scenes, and go to each other shows, support touring and regional bands, book and promote shows on a regular basis, etc.


Before we go on, let me go on a little bit of a rant. At this meet-up, and a few others I’ve done in the past year, it didn’t seem like a lot of the kids who claimed they “want to work in music” have taken very much initiative to get started or even think about what they mean when they say that. Sometimes I wonder if “working in music” has become a generic, go-to answer like “I want to play sports” or “I want to be an actor.” I wonder if kids are just spitting out this answer because it sounds cool, or it prevents them from actually pursuing a career that requires work and schooling. It’s nothing to worry about, really, because those people who truly are passionate about music, and honestly see themselves having a career in music, will take steps and make that happen — and we need those hardworking people on the business side of music, for sure. I guess I’m more concerned about unintentionally encouraging people who are apathetic to continue apathetically claiming generic goals. Usually I see this with bands saying they want to “get famous” without knowing what they mean by that — but I guess this just goes to show that even non-musicians can claim goals in music that don’t really mean anything. I certainly don’t think everyone should try to work in music; ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you how many times I’ve begged people to become nurses before considering pursuing music as a career. The world needs more nurses far worse than it needs another “publicist” or “manager” — or “band” for that matter.

That being said, there was one girl in attendance at the meet-up who I’m pretty sure is going to run the entire music industry someday. The amount of effort, money, and time she is already putting into her scene at 17 is truly mind-boggling. She single-handedly made up for everyone at the meet-up who was confused by the question, “What do you want to do?” I’m looking forward to seeing her make waves in Minnesota and beyond.

As for the show: This was one of my favorite shows on the tour so far. Most of the bands on the bill knew each other, and sang along and danced through each other’s sets. There were a couple of out-of-town bands on the bill, but they were supported by the audience and were just as happy to be involved with the show as the bands who knew each other. There were a couple of really stand-out performances on a level we haven’t seen yet on this tour, so that was exciting. Sometimes you see a band and it’s just obvious that you are watching a future superstar.

Here’s my recap:

Band: The Phoenix Philosophy from Minneapolis
These guys (and girl) got the show off to a really fun, upbeat start with some electronica pop and a great light show. I could tell they put a lot of thought into the aesthetics of their show — but they weren’t just using lights as a gimmick; they care just as much about writing catchy pop songs as they do about the theatrics of the performance. I believe they recently went through a line-up change, but you’d never know it by how well they played together. Really great band that is well on their way to solidifying a sound of their own. More harmonies, guys!
Check them out HERE.

Band: Mister Fister from Minneapolis
This band caught me off-guard. They’re a bunch of ragtag-looking young kids — called Mister Fister for crying out loud — and you’d never think to look at them that they’d be writing really interesting, intelligent songs, or that their frontman would have an awesome voice or stage presence that combines the hip edginess of Jack White with the fearlessness of Johnny Rotten. I can only hope that this band sticks together, keeps honing their songwriting craft, and continues delivering such a magnetic performance. I could see these guys being a buzz band at Coachella in the next five years, once they mature a little and crystallize their look and sound.
Check them out HERE.

Band: The Masquerade from Des Moines, IA
These guys made the longest drive to be at the show, and brought a mellower bar rock vibe to the line-up. Really nice guys who are just starting to get the band off the ground. I could see them doing really well in the 21+ scene. Fun to watch, catchy songs, and good people.
Check them out HERE.

Band: Beyond Fate from Appleton, WI
This band also had a long drive to get to the show. They brought the hard rock, nu-metal to the show, and gave a solid performance. They know their instruments and are all good players. If anything, they should focus on updating their sound and bringing in some new influences. They’re good enough and serious enough that if they focus on creating a new sound, they could do really well within their genre. It’s all about evolving and staying ahead of the curve!
Check them out HERE.

Band: Machine 22 from Minneapolis
This is a garage rock band who is obviously loved by everyone in the scene, and heavily involved in their community of friends. The band is tight, the songs are interesting and well-written, and the singer was definitely channeling Kurt Cobain, whether he knew it or not. Super fun to watch, blazing performance, tons of crowd interaction, and ended the show on a high note!
Check them out HERE.

There was a ton of individuality among the bands at this show, which is such a breath of fresh air. And off-stage, all the bands are working hard and doing really great things within their local scenes. It was a tough decision, but after much deliberation, we decided that Mister Fister needs to bring their unique sound and performance to the Warped Tour in Shakopee this summer. Hopefully the other bands will be on-hand to sing along like they were at the EIY show!

It’s good to know that the Midwest is still one of the best places to find hardworking, talented, original bands.

Love,
Sarah & EIY

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