MC Lars And Friends Bring Smiles, Good Energy And Geekiness to Studio B

I’ve started hanging out with someone and he seems a bit fascinated by my show obsession. He seemed surprised by the way I could shrug off certain amazing artists just because I had seen them so many times. He asked if I ever got excited for shows anymore or if it has just turned into a job more than a fun type of thing. I honestly stopped and thought about it. Although I always say I love doing this, it absolutely has ruined some acts for me. If you see someone live enough, you will catch onto the shtick and know what’s going to happen to the point where why even stay for the entire set? I thumbed through my calendar to point out a show I was legitmately excited for and fell on the MC Lars show. I may have seen Lars over twenty times now but he’s not one that I will ever just shrug off nor is he one that I will ever miss out on seeing live. So, after a quick nap in my townhouse scattered with boxes that should really be unpacked, I headed downtown wide eyed and bushy tailed.

Sure, I was super excited to see MC Lars but was almost equally excited to catch Nur-D for the third time in just a couple of months. This local rapper is taking the scene by storm and has taken over my heart. His set at the Wednesday night show was considerably scaled back compared to his explosive night at First Avenue just a couple of weeks ago for the Best New Bands showcase but that didn’t stop me from continuing to fall hard for this man. The genuinely nice and goofy rapper had the modest crowd in the palm of his hand throughout his shot yet impactful set. From rapping about nerdy (I mean nur-d… get it?) topics like Dungeons and Dragons to more serious songs about being comfortable and confident in your own skin, there’s something to love about Nur-D for everyone. I’ve said this every time I’ve seen him live but please, for the love of God, check this guy out and get on this train before it leaves!

I was introduced to the next act, Schaffer the Darklord, last time I caught MC Lars and I typically dislike when acts tour constantly with the same opening acts but, in the case of MC Lars and STD (yes, because, as he put it, who cares or knows about acronyms), it just works and I’m starting to think it might be weird to see one without the other. Schaffer is a bit of an acquired taste. Just as geeky as Lars but with a lot more raunchiness, his set is one that will have you laughing at times and blushing at others but it’s all in good fun and, at the end of it, he will have you cheeks hurting from smiling so much. Although majority of his set was the same shtick from the May show, I still found myself laughing at his snarky sense of humor and his quirky music and mannerisms. Although I was prepared for what was to come, majority of the audience was not and being able to watch them go from uncomfortable to laughing to hollering during a heartfelt conversation about consent (but seriously- STD did a great job of just telling people to chill out and stop being dumb) was awesome to see from the sidelines this time.

The Doubleclicks took the stage next and, unlike STD’s set, I had no clue what to expect from this Portland based sibling duo but, within the first few words spoken by Laser, I knew I was going to love it. They instantly laid out the fact that their songs would mostly be about social anxiety which is something I absolutely could relate to and they weren’t wrong. From their song about the anxiety over going to a house party where you find comfort in finding the hosts’ cat to the song about a robot throwing a party and being unsure if they did everything right (I mean, was the buffet okay? Was it too much food? Was it too much in general), there was something painfully real about their words that hit me and the rest of the audience right in the gut. Much like Nur-D’s set, there was something geeky about the folk-based music of The Doublclicks that had the audience laughing but there were also moments that were, again, so painfully real that it was hard not to get a wee bit emotional with the words they were singing. All in all, the set was powerful and did just what it was intended to do-made people think and made people fall in love with them. I don’t typically do this but The Doubleclicks have a Patreon account HERE.  They are doing something extremely special and have a few super cool ideas up their sleeves that I absolutely want to see happen. 

Closing out the night was MC Lars and, as soon as he took the stage, it felt like seeing a good friend I hadn’t seen in awhile. As mentioned, no matter how many times I see this nerdcore rapper perform, it never gets old and last night was no different. Born Andrew Nielsen, MC Lars has one of the most positive and infectious auras around him that is impossible to ignore. He’s genuinely just a great person and has a very positive presence that could have you smiling even on your darkest day. Although I’ve seen him too many times to count, I feel like every time I do, he plays a song that I hadn’t heard in years and last night that song was “iGeneration”. The smile never left my face as I lost myself in a cloud of nostalgia, positive energy and just a fun atmosphere and, when it was all said and done, I couldn’t help but already start looking forward to the next visit from MC Lars. I respect people that grind and tour nonstop. MC Lars does that and then some which makes him nothing shot of an idol for me. It sounds cheesy but I honestly think this world would be a better place if we all just went to a MC Lars show once every couple of weeks (and for those of you who have seen MC Lars- yes, I’m serious and I know that statement is tight, tight).

My life has been better than ever lately due to a lot of different factors but last night definitely gave me even more of a pep in my step and an even larger smile on my face.