Sick of Sarah with The Alarmists and The Soviet Machines at 7th Street Entry on 1/24/09

By: David Rachac

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The Soviet Machines - Photo by Nick Wosika

Five o’clock in downtown Minneapolis, the sun is setting and the wind chill is well below zero – time to rock, right? Actually, that was exactly the scenario at the Seventh Street Entry last Saturday, with three local bands rocking a diverse-aged crowd, from band members’ parents to a little guy maybe three years old wearing ear plugs to protect his hearing. Although the sets were a bit on the short side (30-35 minutes), it was quite a treat being able to see a show with my daughter and her friend and still get home at a decent hour.

First up was a band I had never seen before, The Soviet Machines, a young (and I mean young!) punky power-pop trio from Apple Valley. Guitarist/singer Jack Swagger may only be 19 years old, but has a stage presence far more intense and focused than you might expect of someone so young. Drummer Marcus Jones was in constant motion, long hair flying the entire time he was playing, but these guys were tight and crisp and locked into a steady beat. While there are a lot of bands that play similar high-octane Green Day-meets-The-Vines-influenced rock, The Soviet Machines wear a wider array of influences on their sleeves, drawing from classic American and British rock and diverging from the usual “three-chords-and-a-cloud-of-dust” approach to songwriting that a lot of bands fall back on. They are definitely a band to see, and the next chance to do that is on February 7^th at The Rock in Maplewood.

Long-time How Was The Show favorites The Alarmists were on second, and what can we say about them that hasn’t already been said here, here, or here ? They have been one of the most dynamic bands in the Twin Cities for the last four years, and their show at the Entry was just your basic, excellent Alarmists gig. Singer/guitarist Eric Lovold and guitarist Ryan McMillan each brought intensity that amped up the band’s performance as they played songs from each of their releases, including “The Elusive Mr. Albright,” from their upcoming CD that should see the light of day later this year.

Sick of Sarah - Photo Wasika

I predicted a huge groundswell of support after hearing Sick of Sarah’s self-titled full-length CD – a pure pop gem, somewhere between the Bangles’ sparkle and Anna Nalick’s sheen. Sadly, the local press and radio seemed to have missed the boat on it, but a good-sized crowd of predominantly young women were there to cheer when the five women of Sick of Sarah took the stage. Although it took a couple of songs to get a groove going, they really took off once they did. Singer Abisha Uhl is a natural front woman, engaging the crowd with hammy banter between songs but quickly finding her ground when the music kicked in. Personally, I thought they sounded the best when Uhl put her guitar down and concentrated on singing – it gave more separation to the guitars of Katie Murphy and Jessie Farmer, and allowed Uhl more freedom to interact with the crowd and the rest of the band. They played six songs off their CD, including a soaring version of “Bittersweet,” and included a new song called “Autograph.” Sick of Sarah will be hitting the road for most of February, including a string of dates in the Midwest with the Melismatics.

I can only hope First Avenue will book more Saturday evening shows like this one – it is an excellent way to foster a culture of seeing live music, especially for the all-ages demographic that has few opportunities outside of the summer festivals and even fewer in the cold winter months.

Autograph
Hello Good Morning
Hardest Part
Bittersweet
Breakdown
Mr. Incredible
Not Listening
Daisies

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Location Info: 7th Street Entry
Artist Info: Sick of Sarah, The Alarmists, The Soviet Machines

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