Downtown Minneapolis felt dead on Thursday night. It didn’t feel like a show was happening at the massive Armory due to the lack of people hanging around the front. I got nervous. Did I have the wrong night? Maybe the wrong venue? Sadly, it wouldn’t have been the first time for either of those things. I saw a few people here and there walking towards the main doors and entering. Okay, clearly, we had a show, but where were all of the people? It wouldn’t be until headlining act Still Woozy took the stage that I would see that we did, in fact, have a show, and a massive one at that. It was one of those late arriving kind of crowds that just couldn’t be bothered to stand through even one opening act before the main attraction. Whatever– it’s their loss because everything about this entire show was fun, intriguing, different, and, did I mention fun?
I say that Thursday night was different specifically because of the opening act, MICHELLE. This six-piece pop group from New York City was both a throwback and a refreshing act wrapped up in one. The first thing that struck me about this group was their dance moves. I’m a sucker for good synchronized dance moves and it always brings me back to the days where Justin Timberlake was king and you choose your friends based on if they liked NSYNC or Backstreet Boys more (NSYNC for life, by the way). There was just something so 90s and fun about the dance moves that lasted throughout MICHELLE’s opening act that it definitely caught me and had me stuck in their world for the duration of their set.
Musically, MICHELLE’s pop tunes weren’t quite for me and didn’t make me feel what I always look for music to make me feel, but it was well done. Each of the four humans who were dancing and singing their way through the set brought something different to the set. I’m talking both vocally and with their dancing style. Sure, things were synchronized, and this definitely felt a bit like a “Making The Band” moment, but I loved how you could see each performer bring their own unique spice to the stage and sound. I also really appreciated the fact that they had a live drummer and guitarist. MICHELLE could have easily just danced and sung to tracks, but this is not a four-piece; it’s a six-piece, and two of those pieces come with live instruments.
Long story short, MICHELLE’s music was a bit cheesy and just not quite my style, but their performance had me captivated. I feel bad for all of those people who chose to skip this opening act because, truly, it was a blast from the past and a breath of fresh air at the same time, which really set the stage for what was to come.
Still Woozy, the headliner of Thursday night, is the solo project of Sven Gamsky from California. At only 32 years old, he has definitely made a name for himself and continues to climb into the hearts of young kids and people like me who know good music when they hear it. With just two albums out there for the world to consume, it’s safe to call Still Woozy a relatively new act, but the fact that he was playing The Armory in Minneapolis and had it packed tells me all I need to know. Still Woozy is still on the climb but it won’t be long before he is a household name and blaring through everyone’s speakers.
Still Woozy’s sound is bedroom-pop but there’s an edge to it. I’ll be honest: I just recently got into the music of Still Woozy, and even now, it’s not quite my go-to. It’s just a bit more chill and quieter than I need to get through my day-to-day life, but he has me hooked with the power and intimate emotion he puts into each track. Not to mention that slight edge. Still, Woozy’s edge comes with the way he adds power behind certain words and lets others just shower down on you like a waterfall. These are very subtle things in his music, but it’s what made him stick out to me in a world where everyone’s brother seems to be trying to put out a bedroom-pop-styled album.
One of my favorite things about my time spent with Still Woozy on Thursday night was seeing all of his contradictions come to life. There were moments when he clearly let his more bad-boy and mischievous side take the spotlight, but those moments were quickly followed by moments of intimate emotion. These two sides came together to give the audience just what they wanted and what I needed– a set that made you smile and laugh but also gave you an outlet for all of those emotions that had been bottling up throughout the week.
Although the spotlight was definitely on Sven throughout the night, this set would have been nothing without his talented bandmates behind them. Although a simple and standard rock n’ roll band set-up with drums, bass, and guitar, the band behind Sven brought a sense of intricacy that really enhanced the sound and overall performance. Sure, the musicians let Sven do his thing and lead the ship, but there were many moments throughout the set where I caught the backing band clearly having the time of their lives on stage as they interacted with each other and played through the perfectly crafted songs.
I felt a bit out of place in the crowd on Thursday night. I was a bit older than the average age for the room, and on top of that, I wasn’t singing along to every word, as if my life depended on it. That being said, the show hit me. Still Woozy’s music hit me and this show that I had meandered into on a whim ended up being just what I needed to power through the rest of the week.
