As Pride Weekend was in full swing, Minneapolis was glistening with life and the intersection of First Avenue and 7th Street was no exception. As I walked into the 7th Street Entry I was greeted with incredible tunes and the excitement of another show at one of my favorite venues. Both Grand Courriers and Welles brought the life from the outside world into the small room.
At 9:00pm Grand Courriers took the stage. The four piece local band was made up of a drummer, bassist, guitarist and keyboardist. Adding the keyboard there instead of another guitar gave the band an element that most other bands don’t have. That element works very much in their favor. Grand Courriers created a very distinct vibe that sounded like ambient space rock with the liveliness and vocal melodies of The Strokes. They played for roughly 45 minutes before they end. Once they were finished it was time for Welles.
As the black sheet was ripped away from the drum. The clear blue set shined with the stage lights. The four piece band took the stage with storm. Welles had the power of frantic punk band and the grooves of T. Rex. Even lead man Jesse Welles look went along with their music, with the stage essences of Kurt Cobain and the hair of Mark Bolan. Welles played their most well known songs such as “Rock and Roll” and “Codeine”. They also covered a “Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings” by Father John Misty, but it was far from soft, it was heavy. It was an unexpected cover that went over extremely well. The band played for 45 minutes before exiting the stage and speaking with every fan. WELLES is an up and coming must see band, they will be back in town with Dead Sara at the 7th Street Entry on September 30th.
We had a chance to talk to Welles a few days before the show. Check out the interview HERE
