Like so many other nights, there was excitement in the air as I entered the Fillmore in downtown Minneapolis, and although I had no clue what I was about to get, it put me in the mood for a show. Honestly, it’s not that I wasn’t in the mood for a show. I always want a show. It’s more that it’s getting chilly outside, and it’s leading to me wanting to spend more nights inside just cuddled up with my cats and some trashy TV, but the excitement I felt as I entered the venue on Saturday night had me more than excited for whatever the night would bring.
Sweet and innocent Piao was the first act to perform. Piao’s voice is smooth and soft but it has this power behind it that had me absolutely in love within the first song. Within that power is a slight sense of darkness, which intrigued me. Although young and with a bubblegum pop look to her, Piao’s songs showed a sense of depth and told the story of a young woman who is wise beyond her years and has definitely been through it. I loved how she was so raw and emotionally open with the audience. She talked about everything from getting through the pandemic to dealing with the pressures of society, parents, and everything in between. Although it felt a bit too young for me, I liked how her words still resonated and made me feel almost as much as her touching songs did. Saturday night’s show was part of Piao’s first-ever national tour, but judging by the crowd’s reception and her clear talent, it won’t be her last. There’s a lot to come from Piao, and I can’t wait to see how she grows and turns the world on its head.
It’s pop-punk at its core, but like Cassadee Pope, so many other elements and styles were woven into Marianas Trench’s twenty-song set. Some moments tugged at my heartstrings, and others had me just smiling from ear to ear like a complete fool. Being that I don’t know this group’s discography, I couldn’t tell you which songs really stood out to me, but, at the same time, every song hit me differently, and it felt like I was watching a band I had had a strong connection with for decades. It was a very odd feeling, but I loved it, and it showed how great this band is both sonically and when it comes to their way with words.
Sure, this band may not be a household name, but they were treated like royalty by the excited audience. I was taken aback by the sheer volume of the audience the second the band took the stage, and I continued to be floored by this response as the audience never calmed down and only seemed to get louder as the night went on. It all reached an apex as vocalist Josh Ramsay took to the audience for a full song. Obviously, I’ve seen bands do this time and time again but this felt just a bit more genuine than when other bands do it. It felt to me that Josh needed to get closer to the audience. He needed to feed off their energy just like the audience had been feeling off the energy from the band all night.
