I probably did no less than a hundred double-takes to make sure I was going to the right venue on Wednesday night. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I was stoked to be at the 7th Street Entry because it is by far one of my favorite venues in town but it just didn’t feel right. Tokyo Police Club playing a 200 capacity venue? It just didn’t sound right but, after my hundred and first double-check, I got in my car and made my way downtown to the legendary venue. There it was, right on the wall– Tokyo Police Club at the 7th Street Entry. Yeah, I was beyond excited as I got all checked into the venue and settled in for what was sure to be an amazing night.
The beautiful Alina Maira got the night started off right. Although she is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she recently relocated to Minneapolis and, I’m sorry Phillie, but we are claiming her as ours. Her music is so dreamy and subdued but the emotion and energy that she gives off on stage are far from that. I’ll be honest, her music is almost a bit too calm for me and it’s not something I would listen to on a daily basis but her delivery of those songs will absolutely keep me coming back for me. Joined by just two other members on stage, Alina admitted that it was a little weird to not have a full band behind her but I am so thankful that I got this more intimate performance as my intro to her music. The absence of the drums just made everything else about her music shine that much brighter. Alina’s opening set was forty minutes long which seemed like the perfect length of time for her to really convince everyone in the sold-out audience that she is worth their attention but it was also clear that the audience would have stood there for much longer just eating up every word without a complaint.
I promise I’m not crazy. I know that Tokyo Police Club isn’t a super huge band but, I mean, The Entry? Really? Something about that just felt a bit wrong but oh so special at the same time and that seemed to be the overall theme of their set on Wednesday night. From the epic light show that, as a gentleman standing next to me put it “was meant for a much larger show… like a show at the Xcel Center”, to the constant smile on vocalist Dave Monks’ face, last night was truly something special. This Canadian band has been around since 2005 and have a very distinct indie rock sound. From the vocals to the tone of the instruments to just the overall song compositions, when you hear a TPC song, you know it’s a TPC song. This band has seven albums dating back to 2006 and, it sounds cheesy, but everyone is better than the last (and they are all amazing). TPC is one of those bands that you just can’t stop them. Although they have a distinct sound and style, they are constantly evolving as a band and that was put on stage on Wednesday night is a very beautiful way.
I was not the only one who was a bit surprised by the intimate setting of the show last night but, as soon as the band kicked into a generous set full of tracks that spanned their entire catalog, the audience erupted into a sweaty mess. Okay, maybe I’m being dramatic. It wasn’t really an eruption of movement like I experienced on Tuesday night at the Bleachers show, but there was an undeniable sense of energy and appreciation that took over the entire venue when the band started and that feeling never left the room. With some people dancing their hearts out, some people just standing back and letting everything come over them like waves, and everyone singing along to their infectious tracks, it was impossible to find someone who was not having the time of their life on Wednesday.
I’ll be honest, I don’t remember what songs the band played and I lost track of how many they ended up playing but, like the rest of the audience, I feel I was just completely lost in the moment. Jack Antonoff (of Bleachers) said something during his set on Tuesday that really stuck with me. It was regarding playing every show like it was your last show because, after what we all just went through with the pandemic, well, you just never know. That conversation was stuck in my head as I watched TPC power through their set. Although I’m optimistic that things will not shut down again as they did at the beginning of the pandemic, it felt like the band was playing as though it could be their last show, and had that been my last show for some time, I would be more than content with life. The energy and love felt throughout the venue on Wednesday night were perfect and I think everyone who got to experience the magic will be riding high on the feeling for quite a while.
