Yoke Lore And FRENSHIP Play A Sold Out 7th Street Entry

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Warmer weather is finally upon us in the Twin Cities which means it’s non-stop concert season. Sure – we’re lucky enough in the Twin Cities to always have great shows – but something about warmer weather makes that walk to a show feel a little less long. The sunny evenings make that second cocktail on the patio ok. And they make for a great night to take in an evening of live music. Friday night had all the makings of a perfect evening thanks to a highly sold 7th Street Entry for Yoke Lore and FRENSHIP.  

Opening up the evening was the multi-talented Brooklyn-based musician/dancer/choreographer and banjo king – Yoke Lore. Yoke Lore is the project of artist Adrian Galvin who we actually had the chance to chat with ahead of his last stop in Minneapolis. And Galvin is a true artist – in every sense of the word. Through Yoke Lore, Galvin seamlessly blends elements of folk and synth-pop, and that paired with his poignant lyricism make for a result that is musical gold.Yoke Lore had the Entry packed for his fairly early 8:00 pm set – which is not always the case with opening bands. But from the packed room and the good energy it was  but it was clear that Yoke Lore has already developed quite the following. Yoke Lore wasted no time getting the crowd loosened up and dancing along – which let’s be honest, is what Friday nights are for.

“So I live in New York,” Galvin said. “And it’s weird for a New Yorker to have a desire to go to another city but Minneapolis is one of those places for me. I love coming here. And I love seeing you guys here and I hope you know how much I love and appreciate all of you guys,” he went on. And it’s safe to say there was plenty of love around the room for Yoke Lore. His set is largely driven by his banjo playing – which it’s safe to say you’ve probably never seen someone play the banjo the way Galvin does. He brings a contagious energy to his set and plays with a firey passion not often seen from a guy with a banjo. Galvin’s set was short and sweet and as always, left us wanting more. A standout moment from his set was his cover of Savage Garden’s Truly Madly Deeply. “I used to listen to this song when I was like 11 or 12, I was a really cool 11 year old,” Galvin joked. Yoke Lore’s infectiously feel-good set was the perfect kick off to an evening of solid pop goodness.

Setlist: Beige / Only You / Fake You / Truly Madly Deeply (Savage Garden cover) / Hold Me Down / Goodpain / Tom Robbins

Headlining the evening was LA-based duo FRENSHIP – a name in synth pop that has been making major waves in the past year or so. FRENSHIP is the project of James Sunderland and Brett Hite – and they first broke onto the scene with their mega-hit Capsize. After capturing the attention of the masses – the duo took some time away to work on the follow up to the majorly-successful Capsize (featuring Emily Warren) And last night at 7th Street Entry – FRENSHIP showed that they are here to stay in a real way. The duo had the Entry absolutely packed from wall to wall the entire set. The crowd seemed to be singing along to every word and absolutely loving every minute of FRENSHIP’s synth-driven set.

“You guys – there are so many of you here,” Sunderland said, “we’ve never been to Minneapolis before but this is amazing,” he went on. There was nothing but good vibes around the Entry for FRENSHIP’s set. It is rare to see a band play a city for the first time and completely sell out the room but that is exactly what FRENSHIP did. Their set was yes – about the music, but it was completed with some pretty stellar visuals given the size restrictions of the tiny 7th Street Entry stage.

FRENSHIP continues their tour through the spring and into the summer with a coveted spots at Bonnaroo Music and Arts festival. They’re a band with no signs of slowing down, even with a smash-hit (or two) in their pockets. There is a drive and an energy to their live shows that make me think we will be seeing plenty more from FRENSHIP for years to come.

Setlist: Carpet / Run Wild / Remind You / Knives / Nowhere / Kids / LOVE Somebody / GOODMORNING, Goodbye / Run 2 You / Morrison / Keep You Close / Capsize / Mi Amore / 1000 Nights

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