After a night off from shows on Saturday, I was ready to jump back in as Sunday night rolled around. Sure, it was amazing to catch up with friends and get a little out of control but spending a Saturday at home just felt weird. I know it was only one day but it was still weird so when it was time to hop in the car and head downtown, I was bright eyed and bushy tailed– ready for whatever the night would bring.
One of my current favorite local bands- Drones kicked off the night a wee bit after 8:30. Although they are just a three piece, Drones has a filled out sound that instantly gets you in the right mood for a Sunday night show. Instead of starting the show off a bit slow to ease you into it, Drones kicked off last night’s show with a punch to the gut. Some of their songs have become familiar enough for me to sing along to. It’s not that I keep seeing them over and over again (although I feel like I’ve seen them half a dozen times already this year), it’s more that their music is catchy and accessible while still staying unique and so distinctively theirs. Much like majority of their songs, Drones’ set was short and sweet and, as always, left me wanting more. I love catching this band time and time again. Although the songs are becoming familiar, there is still something super exciting about them every time I see them and I truly can’t wait for the next time.
Florida based trio The Antidon’ts were up next and, much like Drones, this group had a sound that made it hard to believe it was coming from just a trio. With an immense amount of energy and power, The Antidon’ts stormed through their set with a sense of fun and energy that seemed to take the atmosphere Drones had created in the sold out venue and magnified it. Within the second song, the floor portion of the tiny venue had turned into a sweaty mess. I watched with a smile on my face as fans pushed and shoved along to the fast and dirty punk songs ringing through the speakers. Although still in the world of punk, where Drones’ music leaned towards the pop-punk side of things, The Antidon’ts leaned towards the skate punk side. It was dirty and gritty while still coming off as well rehearsed and planned. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and, after just over a half hour of music, The Antidon’ts were clearing off the stage and making room for the headliners. Having never heard of them prior to last night’s show, I was shocked by how head over heels I fell for this band. They definitely shot to the top of my playlist today and I am already craving another chance to see them live.
The reason for the hype around last night’s sold out show was clearly headlining act Days N Daze. Being from Houston, their stops in the Twin Cities seem to be few and far between and it was easy to feel the anticipation in the air as the members took their spots on stage and jumped into their set. I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t super excited for this show. Honestly, out of everything I have coming up, Days N Daze’s set was one that I was most excited for. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but, having fallen in love with this band over the past couple of months and having heard people chat about how amazing their live show was, I knew it was something I just had to see for myself.
Days N Daze’s music is unique to say the least. A little bit of gypsy punk, a little bluegrass, a little metal and a whole lot of attitude. One of my favorite things about this group is the instrumentation. Sure, you have vocalist Jesse Sendejas on your normal acoustic guitar but, outside of that, nothing is typical about this band. With Meagan Michelle on the washboard, Geoff Bell on a washtub bass (it literally looks like a stick with one string on it– quite amazing if you ask me) and then Whitney Flynn seamlessly switching between vocals, trumpet, kazoo and ukulele, you are left with a band that seems to out of the ordinary and so strange that it’s almost comical. What’s not comical is just how damn good this band is. Sure, they look like one rag tag group of misfits but, when the joking between songs ended, they would tighten up and perform some of the most interesting music I had ever heard.
Beyond the music and the sights of Days N Daze the atmosphere in the sold out Entry was truly something I wish I could feel every single night. Everyone in there had a smile on their face and, although moving and grooving along to the beat, had an ear to the speakers. People were there for a good time and to see old friends but it was also clear that they were there to hear music. With a polite cheer after each song and almost dead silence as the band members joked around between the songs, there was a sense of respect that seemed to radiate from the crowd to the stage and vice versa. After the “final song” the four members of Days N Daze asked the audience to make a hole. The band members carried their instruments down to the open spot in the audience and played a final final song as the audience moved around them. The amazing thing was that even though there was still a lot of movement throughout the crowd, nobody got close to the band– not even a bump. I think that right there shows just how much respect the audience had for the group.
Last night was interesting, it was fun, it was different, and it was imperfectly perfect. Sunday night shows set the tone for the week– this is going to be a damn good week.
