Supporting small bands is a unique experience in every way. Smaller artists and bands perform for the purpose of one thing: the passion and love of music. When you go to a local concert, it’s small and intimate. You have a chance to feel connected to the bands and be able to support them on a personal level. The amount of passion and energy brought to the stage when they perform is incredible. You feel it. You feel the energy, and you feel the chill vibes. It’s such an enjoyable experience.
In every city, there is a local band scene. These bands rely on the community to go out to their shows and support them. Any amount of support helps these bands continue doing what they love and hopefully eventually achieve their dreams of making it big.
No matter the genre, there are always small bands to discover and support. And it is always worth it.
In Minnesota, the local band scene is so intense. There are so many incredible bands and music artists. This past Friday night on December 10, 2016, I attended a Battle of the Bands at the Fine Line Cafe in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The bands were competing for the spot to play as an opening band at Go 96.3’s Show Show in which Bastille is headlining. The Snow Show is on Thursday, December 15th at Myth Nightclub in Maplewood, Minnesota.
The top five bands that performed head-to-head in the Battle hosted by the radio station, G096.3 after receiving the most vote in the online poll by the public were, “Clay Borrell,” “John Chuck & The Class,” “Saving Vinyl City,” “Time Atlas,” and “Whosah.” All of these bands brought their very best to the stage, making the battle tough. The bands were judged by the audience’s response as well as a panel of experts.
The first band to take the stage was, “Clay Borrell,” from Excelsior, Minnesota. Clay has been performing since the age of 12 and played concerts across the country and has been on multiple promotional tours. In 2016, he released his debut EP titled, “Lifeline,” which is available on Itunes. He has over 15,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel, check out some of his videos! Clay’s goal is to share his music and passion for living life to the fullest with as many people as possible. Clay took the stage supporting his home state by repping a Minnesota Wild hockey jersey. He commented that he made a promise on Twitter that he would wear it every time the Minnesota Wild win. He played a few of his hit songs and had so much passion while doing so. Looking around at the audience every girl in the venue was drawn directly into to him (his looks may or may not have played a significant part in that!)
The second band to take the stage was, “John Chuck & The Class.” With an energetic opening, the band got the crowd’s attention directly from the start. Their constant energy throughout their entire performance kept the crowd entertained. JC, “John Chuck” Strobel and producer Henry “The Class” Donato have been making music together since they were children. Growing up in the northern suburbs of Minneapolis, the two of them have modeled their talents and ambitions after the vibrant musical culture around them. John Chuck & The Class aim to bring a fresh new sound and perspective to the local music scene, which is exactly what they did on Friday night at The Fine Line in Minneapolis. In 2016 the band released an EP titled, “Grow Up.” You can find it on Itunes, which I highly recommend that you do!
Following “John Chuck & The Class” was, “Saving Vinyl City.” A five piece band from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Their performance featured instruments that ranged from strings all the way to brass. They brought energy, fun, and even wildness to the stage which created a hefty amount of crowd participation. “Saving Vinyl City” strives to create music that generates real emotion and actual discussion. Their passion on stage throughout each song, shined dramatically. In 2014, the band released an EP titled, “The Weekend” which is available on Itunes! Go check it out!
Up next was, “Time Atlas.” The band is led by the songwriting of lead singer, Grayson DeWolfe. “Time Atlas” has toured the midwest and east coast several times and has over 60,000 streams on Spotify as well as a strong following on social media. Both have helped them create a buzz in the music scene. In 2015 the band released their five-track debut EP titled, “Clarity.” In 2016, they released a new single titled, “Scarlet Fever,” which received over 50,000 streams/listens in the first month of its release! Give it a listen on Itunes or Spotify! The band strives to touch as many people as possible with their music while maintaining a unique sound. “Time Atlas” took the stage with a lot of energy, just like the previous bands. However, a standout moment took place when in the middle of a song Grayson stopped singing and held out his microphone and the crowd sang every word back to him. Throughout the whole set, the crowd screamed every word creating radiant smiles on every band member’s faces.
The last band to take the stage was, “Whosah.” A personal indie pop band from Minneapolis, Minnesota. The band got the crowd’s attention from the opening note. Spencer, the lead singer of the band, ran around the stage like crazy, even losing a shoe at one point. He interacted with the crowd throughout the whole set creating a hip and fun atmosphere. The band released an EP in 2016 titled, “Work.” You can find the EP on Itunes as well as Spotify. A particular moment of the band’s set was when member Dallas, lit up his guitar. It took everyone by surprise, and almost everyone in the venue instantly pulled out their phone to snap a picture of the moment. The crowd screamed back the lyrics to all of their songs, but the standout song was their single, “Ghost Town.” Whosah had a killer set and had everyone drawn in from the moment they took the stage. It’s an understatement to say that they killed it, the chants from the crowd at the end of their set proved it.
With their radiant energy, passion and incredible performance, John Chuck & The Class won the battle round at the Fine Line Music Cafe on Friday night! Not only did they win the battle, but they won a slot to open up for Bastille at the Snow Show 16 hosted by Go 96.3 this Thursday night!
