After my quick yet delightful time in the 7th Street Entry for the Lutalo and Claud show, it was time to move upstairs for the Kid Kapichi and Nothing But Thieves concert. I was excited as I passed through a different set of security to get into the mainroom at First Avenue. I knew nothing about the opener but had heard a couple of singles from the headliner. I knew from those few singles that I was going to be left with a highly energetic set but what I didn’t know was how much work Nothing But Thieves would have to do to have me sold on them after following a band like Kid Kapichi.
I always write about it– be careful who you have open for you. I’ll get into what happened here in a second but it was a set that left me talking to my partner about how I couldn’t even tell you what band was headlining the night we saw Bob Vylan or the night we saw The OBGMs purely because they blew the headliners out of the water. Although I was impressed by Nothing But Thieves on Monday and they were solid enough that I definitely won’t forget about them, Kid Kapichi opened the show with a sense of fury, passion, and talent that left me speechless.
Monday night was UK-based Kid Kapichi’s first time in Minnesota but, after what they gave the sold-out audience and the way the sold-out audience responded to them, it won’t be their last. Sonically, Kid Kapichi reminded me a lot of old-school Arctic Monkeys (thanks to my partner for helping me with that comparison. For some reason I was struggling to find the name in this brain of mine but he nailed it). Visually and energy-wise, I was getting Viagra Boys vibes. These two things, the music, and the energy, came together to create a truly dynamic set that had me completely hooked and in love with this band.
I want to tell you all about Kid Kapichi’s set but, the truth is, the only notes I took were:
- First time in America
- Viagra Boys meets Arctic Monkeys
- Less than 30 minutes– too short
My eyes were honestly glued to the stage throughout their set but, at the same time, I felt like I was in such a haze and so shocked by what was happening on stage that I don’t remember anything other than being completely enamored. Long story short, just go see Kid Kapichi live. My words could never do them justice but they are a band that demands to be heard and seen and will be on some of the world’s biggest stages in no time.
Although I was still craving more Kid Kapichi as Nothing But Thieves set up and quickly took over the stage, NBT was able to grab my attention. It was not as drastically as Kid Kapichi had but they had me hooked within the first couple seconds of their opening track.
Nothing But Thieves is an English rock band that has been around since 2012. I just recently got turned onto these guys due to some singles that have come across my desk over the past few months and I am late to the party. The sold-out audience was stoked as the band jumped into what would turn into an eighteen-song set followed by a two-song encore. I could sit here and list off what songs the band played but, being a newbie when it comes to their material, it really wouldn’t change what I have to say about them. Each song was such a beautiful showing of power and talent that I didn’t care what song they were playing or what album said song came from, I was just happy to experience it all.
Much like how Kid Kapichi left me lost for words, the amount of energy and flawless music that NBT gave me also left me grasping for the right words but in a different way. They honestly sounded as perfect as their recorded material but with an added sense of heart and fire that just doesn’t come through on anyone’s recordings. Sometimes this comes from the way an audience responds to a band which would make sense but that was not the case on Monday. Sure, the sold-out audience was clearly into NBT’s set and were jumping and singing their way through every song but it was the energy from the stage that had me sold. This band was in the moment and doing what they love. The fact that they sounded flawless was honestly just an added bonus.
I was truly struck by Nothing But Thieves’ performance and strained my brain to try and figure out why it didn’t spark the same amount of excitement as Kid Kapichi’s set had. I think the difference was that I knew, based on what I had heard from NBT before Monday night, what to expect. I knew what their sound was going to be like and had a feeling that I was going to get blasted by an undeniable sense of passion and energy based on that sound. I knew nothing about Kid Kapichi before the show which is why it caught me so off guard and had me so excited.
As I mentioned, this will not be another case where I forget all about seeing Nothing But Thieves live because they killed it. I would jump on another chance to witness their magic live in a heartbeat and they will continue to be a staple of the daily playlist of my life. That being said, holy crap, Kid Kapichi– they are going to take over the world very shortly so jump on this train now.
