The Interrupters Bring Sunshine And Fun Vibes To Varsity Theater

Clearly I’ve been on a bit of a bender. There are just too many shows coming to town that I refuse to miss but, I have to be an adult at the same time and make it to my day job day after day. Yeah, I’m worn down and after pulling a double header on Tuesday night that kept me out until bar close with one too many drinks in me, to say I was exhausted on Wednesday would be an understatement. I spent most of my day snoozing at my desk only waking up when the phone would ring. I was useless and had many other people been in that position, I would assume they would take the night off, crawl into bed early, and sleep off the remainder of their hangover. Obviously I’m not like most people and although my head was still throbbing and the urge to vomit was real, I was not going to miss last night’s show headlined by The Interrupters.

It was an early one and I was in a bit of a haze when I arrived at The Varsity Theatre due to having just woken up from a quick cat nap but, as soon as opening act Rat Boy (not to be confused with Ratboys from Chicago) took the stage, that haze was gone and was replaced with a second wind that I wasn’t going to let pass me by. With a very fun pop-punk manner about them, this UK based band instantly captivated my heart. It was clear that the band was a bit annoyed with the fact that the sold out audience wasn’t jumping along to the beat but maybe the rest of the audience was like myself and just absolutely stunned by the energy this band was putting out there and their sound of perfection. They tried everything they could including telling the audience it was the drummer’s birthday and we would be ruining his day if we didn’t all jump (we later came to found out that it has been said drummer’s birthday every day for the past couple of weeks). Fun and light-hearted, they may have not gotten the action they wanted to get from the crowd but they definitely got the respect and I, for one, was left with a new band to add to my daily playlist.

Up next to the stage was a true favorite of mine so excuse me while I gush over them a bit- Masked Intruder! Where to even begin with this group. First off, they are straight cheese. Their whole shtick comes down to the band members are running from the law or on probation or something after a crime spree- hence the colored face masks that also serve as their namesake (for example- Intruder Green, Intruder Red… etc.). Not kitschy enough for you yet? Let’s throw in Officer Bradford the cop who has a tendency to strip down to next to nothing and seems to be a better dancer than law enforcement agent. What I’m trying to say is that Masked Intruder’s live show alone will make you fall in love but it’s their music that really lays on the charm. A bit pop-punk, a lot of rock and whole lot of personality in the lyrics, their upbeat songs are the type of songs that get stuck in head for hours on end. Even if you don’t know the lyrics, you feel that beat in your heart long after you finish listening to one of their songs. Although out supporting their newest album “III” which came out earlier this year, the band did a great job of playing a mix of new and old songs. It kept everyone extremely happy and I’d be willing to be there wasn’t a single person not smiling by the time they were clearing off the stage and making way for headliners The Interrupters.

The Interrupters have seriously made a huge splash across the board in the music industry. Their music, at face value, is straight up ska but, if you dig a bit deeper, it’s also punk, pop-punk, rock and even skate punk. With such a unique yet somehow still classic sound, the bar for The Interrupters’ was high to say the least. When the four members took the stage, the audience’s applause turned deafening and, without delay, the band jumped into their California-ska songs that instantly made the venue feel warm and sunny. I have listened to this band for a couple of years now but never really dug into their discography or anything so I was shocked when I caught myself singing along to nearly every song. I think that says so much about this band’s music. The fact that after only a couple of passive listens, their music was so catchy and so infectious that I could already sing along to at least the chorus.

Other than a couple of covers, The Interrupters’ set was nearly twenty songs of pure creativity and bliss. It was clear that it had been awhile since this band made a stop in the Twin Cities which made the audience a bit more rowdy than usual but it was also clear that people were just genuinely excited to see this powerhouse of a band. Vocalist Aimee Interrupter really didn’t have to do much to get the crowd going. At times she lowered the microphone to let the crowd have a go at the lyrics and it was impressive how loud the audience actually was. There was a sense of respect that Aimee and the rest of the band gave the excited audience and that respect was thrown right back at the stage creating the perfect ending to an already perfect night.

Last night’s show was an all ages one so, due to curfew laws here in the cities, I ended up getting home at an actual reasonable time and getting more than five hours of sleep (which is seriously insane for me). I woke up feeling rested and energized but I honestly think that is more because of the perfection of last night and less about actually sleeping.