With starting my day job at 5am, I tend to forget that there usually traffic in the cities around 5pm, since this is typically the time I start winding down and getting ready for bed. This was the case as I made my way from East Saint Paul to Dinkytown to catch Bad Wolves headline the Varsity Theater. Sitting in traffic made me nervous I was going to miss local openers Throw The Fight, however, I scurried through the door and made it inside the venue with one minute to spare before the start of the show.
Sadly, I had only heard of Throw The Fight before tonight, another new band I’m sure I’ll add to my Spotify playlist. The local Minnesotans commanded their hometown stage, the crowd that trickled in early for their set matching the bands stage intensity with every song. Even though they played a short 20 minute set, I’m glad I was able to catch their electric performance.
Up next was female fronted Diamante, bringing a punky and alternative classic rock vibe with them to the stage. As I watched their set I started to become enthralled with their performance, each member playing a part in playing ensnaring rock that kept me hooked from start to finish. Prior to tonight, I had barely even heard of Diamante, and although I knew I wasn’t alone in that, I also knew that I wasn’t the only one in the crowd captivated by their sound.
The penultimate band of the evening was From Ashes to New. Northern Invasion exposed this band to me a little under a month ago, and I was interested to see how their indoor performance compared to their outdoor set. The band sauntered on stage one by one accompanied by their catchy electric, pop metalcore. Heavily using strobe backlights and low to no front lighting, the band had an enjoyable light set to go along with their music. The band even threw in a Linkin Park cover, paying tribute to a band that influenced their lives. However, I would argue that after seeing From Ashes To New both indoors and outdoors, their outside set seemed to be more fitting of their massive sound.
Finally, it was time for headliners Bad Wolves to take the stage. Bad Wolves started off their set, setting off a wave of thunder throughout the Varsity that did not let up for the rest of the night. With the crowd nearly doubled in size since the start of From Ashes To New, there seemed to be no one standing still and not moving along to the beat. Powering through their set, Bad Wolves were musically unrelenting and a great break from my normal workday routine.
