High Amplitude: A Charming Knockout
A refreshing night of fun and games to help beat the heat with Bright Young Things, Of the Orchard, anni xo, and Spiderlily at the Green Room.
[FREQUENCY: MINNEAPOLIS, MN]
We’ve officially hit the dog days of summer here in Minneapolis. These muggy summer nights require something bright and refreshing to help survive the heat. Luckily, the Green Room delivered that and more with the killer multi-faceted lineup of the Bright Young Things, Of the Orchard, anni xo, and Spiderlily. Each band sported their own fun flair resulting in a charming knockout of an evening that beat the heat with some light-hearted shenanigans.
Kicking off the night, Spiderlily showed off a charming sense of maturity despite being a younger band. They already have a strong sense of identity, as seen in small details like the intricate face paint their lead singer sported and the easy conifdence they have on stage. Overall, they have a strong stage presence and an alluring energy that makes it hard to take your eyes off of them and had even those sitting in the back tapping along.
What I was most surprised by was the old soul depth that the group had by way of their rich, slightly smoky vocals, which was a perfect compliment to the more youthful, modern, jangly guitars.
Their alternative rock sound can range from 70s psychedlic rock on tracks like “Morning Person” to more of a classic garage-rock feel on tracks like “Vain.”
They further showed off their range incorporating songs into their setlist with rap sensibilities and even some with a little country twang.
While Spiderlily brought a magnetic, genre-fluid cool to the stage, the evening took a more intimate turn as anni xo stepped up next. While they sonically slowed down the night, they kept it emotionally charged with their vulnerable, diary-esque songwriting through tracks like “Madison.”
anni serves up infectious indie folk and pop melodies that you can’t help but sing-along to. Being aware of this, anni actually led the crowd in a sing-along to their song “Asshole” to close out their set.
As this was my first time seeing anni xo, I was delightfully charmed by the ongoing bit between Anni and their keys player. It’s apparently a running gag that they race to see whether Anni can tune before their keys player is able to finish chugging a can of beer. Unfortunately for anni, their losing streak is still alive and well, even with a tall boy of Hamm’s in the equation.
The acoustic intimacy quickly gave way to the loud, infectious energy when Of the Orchard took the stage as the penultimate act. Of The Orchard channels a distinct brand of youthful angst, filtering it through upbeat, catchy melodies with a subtle pop-punk, Midwest emo tinge like in “Good, Good Feeling.”
Their high-energy sound feels warmly reminiscent of early 2000s alt-rock, blending nostalgic guitar hooks with modern, bittersweet storytelling like in their song “Missing You.”
I loved watching them get lost in the music as they moved across the stage. It was especially evident as their bassist was spinning around so much he even lost his glasses. Thankfully, it happens so much he has a system for dealing with it. It was even funnier to see the band give their bassist shit for accidentally forgetting to bring the merch. On the bright side, it looks like I’ll need to see them live again.
That chaotic, kinetic momentum perfectly carried into the final set of the night featuring the Bright Young Things. This was my second time seeing the Bright Young Things and they continue to impress me.
They bring a retro, grooving indie-pop sound that takes inspiration from a multitude of vintage sounds. If you’re craving some 60s Brit-pop, they have a song for it with their latest track “Mary.”
If you’re more into that 70s groove, then you definitely need to check out “Lights Out.”
They don’t take themselves too seriously and just want to have fun, which really shows through things like projecting a Wii Sports boxing match behind them throughout their set and their impressive game of musical chairs.
No, I don’t mean literal musical chairs on stage (however that would have been awesome). Prior to coming together as the Bright Young Things, each member has played in other bands found in the local scene. Their set at the Green Room showcased each of their talents on vocals and different instruments as they continuously shuffled up the lineup throughout the night. Each lineup configuration featured a different cover ranging from “Valerie” to “Everybody Talks.” Each member possesses an impressive level of musicianship on their own, when they combine it’s just off the charts.
The real magic of the night was how each band brought their own distinct brand of fun, allowing the energy of the room to ebb and flow seamlessly from start to finish. We transitioned from Spiderlily’s magnetic, cool-girl allure and anni xo’s charmingly interactive, beer-chugging banter, straight into the chaotic, glasses-losing kinetic energy of Of The Orchard, before wrapping up with the Bright Young Things’ lighthearted Wii Sports-fueled party. It was a perfect sequence of playfulness that kept the crowd completely locked in, proving that there are a dozen different ways to keep a room smiling.
With it’s endless charm and fun-and-games atmosphere, the night was definitley the refreshment I needed to beat the heat.