Once again it is late in the Minnesota winter hell, I mean season. I am in the between bargaining and anger stages with mother nature. And everything seems irritating, exhausting, and nearly all options of escape are becoming redundant. All except music, and thank the gods for that because I myself am one good rush hour from snapping some days. Suffice it to say my good vibes were depleted and the lack of vitamin D clearly taking its toll before Magic Giant’s show came. And it couldn’t have come at a better time.
Opener, The Brevet. Once again you ask Andrew but who is this band you speak of?. I hadn’t a clue in the world. Which I regret now because theme of this night could probably be “Which band do I like the mostest”. The Brevet casually walked onto stage from out of the crowd without much warning and away they went.
As always, I try not to get lost in the weeds with categorizing bands by genre. It’s easier for me personally to say they sound like these bands or those bands. In the case of the Brevet I would put them somewhere in the realm of Judah and the Lion or The Lumineers. Sing along level catchy chorus that make you want to jump up and down. Happy lyrics speaking on love thy neighbor and enjoy your one life. Things I’d say we all can get on board with. The Brevet came out of nowhere for me. Most of their set I had a blended feeling of “where the heck did you guys come from!?” and “calm down boys you aren’t suppose to steal the show…. but feel free”. Stage presence, crowd interaction, and flat out joy for the music. Magic Giant nailed it when they brought these guys on tour and I was sold on 2 bands this night which I had not yet made up my mind on.
After the guys of The Brevet departed and the stage was reset clouds filled the Entry and Magic Giant emerged. In similar fashion the guys walked on stage from the crowd side and got to work. Aside from their similarly awesome stage presence and likable personalities the guys are clear crowd favorites. Friends present included, many people in the crowd had shared stories with the band. One of which includes the story behind a Magic Giant favorite, the song Jade.
For those who do not know the band or this song it may single handily sell you on them being great humans and having great stories to their music. Jade was a song they had not yet found a finish for and were unsure about it’s story. Enter a fellow Minnesotan who shared her story with the band of her friend Jade whom she lost months before to cancer. Immediately she felt a tie to the song and it was about her friend, and the band agreed. Which they shared with the crowd at the Entry and promptly was warned she had not got to the show yet. So, they said “well then we’ll wait, we’ll play it when she gets here”. Well played guys, well played.
The guys played through some of their new tracks from their first ever album mixed with singles from prior to. But they stepped it up one more time when they made a demand. If the crowd could handle being silent, they would do an acoustic set. People promptly complied and so it began. Of the 3 song acoustic was Great Divide, another crowd favorite and which takes a whole new life on when performed in such an intimate setting. If you have never witnessed a live acoustic like this you are missing out. Conversing and being within feet of the band during this is indescribable. But always amazing and always makes you feel that much more connected.
If Magic Giant hasn’t made it onto your playlists yet, I strongly advise you to give them a shot. They are bound for some great things and the night had me feeling very similar to when I first saw Judah and the Lion at the Varsity theater. They love what they are doing, their fans love them, and their music is genuine and full of joy from its creators. I may have to find a way to travel for their next show or festival. My craving and nostalgia for jam band festivals is now in full swing.
