Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I had the privilege of seeing a show outside. The limited number of shows I’ve been to this year (finally hit number ten with this show) have all been inside; it was such a beautiful night to be out at Surly Brewing Festival Field to catch some live music. It was also my first time at Surly Brewing for a concert, and I was excited to see what the experience would be like. With my favorite kind of lineup (one opener and a headliner), the bonus of an early show, and it truly feeling like a mini outdoor festival (complete with food trucks, drink tickets, and a water refill station), the anticipation was building for Lake Street Dive to take the stage to a sold out crowd.
To be completely transparent, the initial draw for me to this show was the opener, the one and only Katie Pruitt. I had the honor of catching her headline show earlier this year at Amsterdam Bar & Hall, where she completely blew me away. While I completely gushed over her performance earlier this year, I was more than ready to relive even a fraction of that show. Pruitt, accompanied by touring band mates, came out swinging, hitting her signature insane vocals right out of the gate. There was something simply magical hearing Pruitt belt out vocals accompanied by soft yet impassioned instrumentals during the sunset; the feeling I got from that experience may never be replicated for me again in a live music setting. I cannot say enough about Pruitt’s raw talent; she just has an it factor that truly sets her apart. Even though Pruitt & co. only played six songs in the roughly 40 minutes they were on stage, it was filled with brilliant instrumentals to bridge the gap between songs and extended intros and outros to add flair to the set. All around, Pruitt played an incredible opening set and left me hoping there would be another tour date of her’s to look forward to.
