Letdown. is Far From A Letdown With 7th Street Entry Performance

I took a much-needed Friday and Saturday night off. It was weird, I won’t lie. To be out with the masses on the town rather than at a concert with a camera hanging from my neck almost felt illegal, but it was a much-needed break. It was nice to spend some time with friends and to actually get to see my boyfriend before he jets off for another week of work out of town, but by the time Sunday night rolled around, I was ready for a show and, thankfully for me, I had two amazing ones on the docket starting with the show at the 7th Street Entry.

It was early, with doors at 6 PM, and the show started off right at 6:30 PM with North Dakota rockers Brooklane. Typically, when a show starts this early in the evening, I get super annoyed, but Brooklane quickly gave me the energy I needed to get in the right headspace for what was to become a super busy night. It didn’t take long for me to catch on to the fact that this band is the one that sings a current favorite song of mine, “Growing Older.” From vocalist Alex Anderson’s distinct (and perfect) pop-punk-styled vocals with an edge to the entire band’s nostalgic yet forward-feeling instrumentation. With clear influences ranging from the pop tendencies of Mayday Parade to a more aggressive Neck Deep style, Brooklane had me within their first song. Sure, there was some roughness around the edges regarding their live performance. I felt there were times that the backing tracks seemed to control this band and bury some of their brilliance, but overall, it was a heck of a way to kick off my Sunday night.

The next band to take the stage, Alyeska, got a very special and rare introduction from the headlining act. Sunday night was Alyeska’s last night on this current tour due to having to go back to the real world, but they made it count. I can’t find much on this band online besides that they are from Omaha, but with a sound and performance like they gave on Sunday, I don’t need much more. Every track this group played in their short thirty-minute set was full of emotion and power. Their style, although a bit more subdued than that of Brooklane, came at you like a freight train. It was a one-two punch between fire and passion, creating an atmosphere that I never wanted to end.

It has to be a bit rough to come from a super famous family. I mean, could you imagine being the song of legendary drummer Jason Bonham and the grandson of the one and only John Bonham of Led Zeppelin fame? Honestly, I wouldn’t be able to try to follow in those kinds of footsteps, but that’s exactly what the third act of the night, Jager Henry, is doing. Jager’s sound instantly filled the room with the help of an incredible backing band. Stylistically, it was a bit Nu-Metal with an emo twist. Like the two bands that had already played and the final band that we still had left on the bill, everything Jager did was done with a sense of fiery passion that was almost too much to handle. Unfortunately, due to the timing between this show and the other one I was covering just next door at First Avenue, I only had a few minutes to spend with Jager Henry, but those few minutes definitely left me wanting so much more from the young and rising musician.

Closing out the show at 7th Street Entry on Sunday night was Texas-born, Nashville-based Letdown.. Born Blake Coddington, Letdown. is one of those bands that, like the previous acts, hits you like a truck. I don’t want to say that his music is a downer because it comes with a ferocious sense of energy that will bite you right in the neck and drag you down, but it is super emotional music that, even on your best days, will make you get lost inside of your own thoughts. I think the main reason for this is the sense of vulnerability that showed throughout Letdown.’s set. Sure, there were bright and flashy lights throughout the set (making it next to impossible to get a good photo), and there were sounds so loud that they vibrated throughout the venue, but there was also something so raw, so honest,, and quite frankly, so emotional about the performance.

One of the many things that stood out to me about Letdown.’s set on Sunday night was the connection that Letdown. clearly has with his followers. Honestly, in retrospect, it makes sense. If you’re going to be as vulnerable as Blake is with his music, it’s easy to see how people could fall head over heels for the music, but I feel like it was much more than that. It quickly became apparent that it wasn’t just Blake; it was the music of Letdown.. People have relied on this music to get them through hard times. When some of the people in the audience felt like they had no voice or no way to express themselves, the music of Letdown. gave them that voice, that expression. All of this added a special sauce to an already brilliant performance that was the perfect way to close out my first show of Sunday night.