Wait So Long

A couple weekends ago, I got to see twelve (!) singers/bands in the span of two days. It required me being around a lot people, many of whom I wanted to punch in the throat (I'm looking at you pretentious jackass with your nasty cigar and your man bun...), but I [mostly] held it together. 

My friend Katie and I took the train to downtown Minneapolis that Friday night. We went to see Actual Wolf, Fathom Lane, and Farewell Milwaukee at the New Century Theater. I've seen a few plays at that venue, but this was my first concert. It was fabulous. Not only did we get to sit down (I'm old...it's fine), but the setting was delightfully intimate and the musicians were able to interact with the audience in a personal and meaningful way. Tickets for the show were only about $20, and between the 3 acts, they played for over 3 1/2 hours. Awesome.

Actual Wolf: Actual Wolf is the stage name for Eric Pollard, a Grand Rapids native. He rocked his solo acoustic set and we cheered extra loud with our hometown pride. I wish he had been given a longer slot - would have loved to hear more.



Fathom Lane: This band was basically unknown to me before the concert, but overall, I enjoyed their set. The bright spot for me was the incomparable Ashleigh Still. Girlfriend is completely and totally amazing. I've been checking out some of her solo stuff (3rd video down), and I am digging it in a big way. 



Farewell Milwaukee: This group was fantastic. They were charismatic on stage and truly talented musicians. Their sound and vibe were right up my alley. I would definitely go see them again.



The next day, I headed to Shakopee for the Palomino Festival at Canterbury Downs. My coworker/friend Sarah was also attending the festival, so we made arrangements to meet up. It could not have been a more perfect day for a music festival - sunny, 70 degrees, fantastic music, and the day ended with a sunset that knocked my socks off. 

The Day's Line-up:

The Lowest Pair: I'm so glad I arrived on time to hear this duo. They were fantastic and their voices melded perfectly together. Because it was early in the day, Sarah and I were able to grab a seat in the grass and have a perfect view to watch the performance. One of my favorites of the day.

Lydia Loveless: Lydia had an edgy rocker girl vibe, with a country twang to her voice. I dug it. 

Calexico: I had no idea what to expect with this band. It was weird and wacky and I felt like I should be dancing in Mexico. High energy and lots of fun.

Laura Marling: This was one of the performances I was looking forward to the most, and Laura did not disappoint. I could listen to her sing all.day.long. Her voice is smooth, powerful, and vulnerable all at the same time. Combine that was incredible songwriting and she is a force to be reckoned with. 

Shakey Graves: This performance was everything. Shakey put on a high-energy, charismatic performance that had the whole festival buzzing. SO much fun. Definitely a high point of the day for me. 
*For all my Friday Night Lights people out there - Shakey Graves is none other than the "Swede" from season 2. Mind. Blown. #amiright

Benjamin Booker: Welcome to the point in the day where I started hitting my wall. Because thousands of people. As much as I wanted to like this performance, I did not. At all. While writing this, I thought I'd listen to some of his music on YouTube to see if my opinion had changed. Nope. However, I respect that dude's got mad talent and does his music very well. 

Father John Misty: It takes something special to revitalize me once I start hitting a wall. This guy was definitely something special. This was BY FAR the craziest performance of the day...in the best possible way. I still barely have words to describe what I saw. There was crowd surfing, throwing of guitars, gyrating hips, and dance moves for days. He was nothing short of awesome. 

Dr. Dog: I didn't love this performance, but I attribute much of that fact that I had been at the festival for 8 hours and standing for 4 and I just wanted to see Trampled by Turtles. Also, after the incredible performance by Father John Misty, this fell short as the "lead-in" to the big act. 

Trampled by Turtles: Oh, but they were so worth the 9-hour wait. This was the first time I had seen TBT in concert, so Sarah made sure I had a front row "seat" (aka front-ish row standing space that included people touching me on every side and not actually enough room to breathe). Worth it. The energy, the speed, the songs. Everything was complete and utter awesomeness. I danced with the drunks and sang at the top of my lungs. And then when it was over and I turned around and saw a sea of bodies blocking my way to the exit, I officially hit my wall. Worth it.

A big thank you to Katie and Sarah for going to the shows with me. An especially big thanks to Sarah who saw a lot of my crazy that day and got me through it. XOXO