(Images and video: NYCDreamin Archives)
We had a great time out on a pleasant Tuesday evening in Minneapolis, attending the first show either of us had ever seen at the Varsity Theater. It is a beautiful venue, a co-worker of mine who goes to shows there once in a while told me it was completely remodeled during the past few years. It has a very low-key but classy feel. We arrived just after the doors opend, popped inside, stopped by the bar and ordered a soda for each of us - $4.00 - and the guy behind the bar tells me refills are FREE(!?!) if we keep the glasses. Very nice touch - we were pretty impressed with this - it's the small things, you know?
Anyway, we had a look around and made our way down front, eventually securing a spot on the right side of the stage in the 2nd-3rd row. We settled in and waited and pretty much right on time, the opening band from Los Angeles, Voxhaul Broadcast, came out and played a very satisfying set of songs lasting about 30-40 minutes that were drenched in swirling, feedback-driven guitar distortion with a thudding bottom end from a rock-solid rhythm section. Very good band. They had a song or two that kinda lost me - but for the most part I enjoyed them very much and I kinda wish I'd shot a few songs by them as well.
After watching the guys in the opening band help take down their own stuff, the set change was brief and soon it was time for the headliner, the also-Los Angeles based Airborne Toxic Event. This was the second time seeing them for both of us and we had really enjoyed them the first time back in October 2009 at the Fine Line in Minneapolis, so we were pretty excited to be seeing them again and it was evident from the beginning they would not disappoint this sold out Varsity Theater crowd. As soon as the lights dimmed and the crowd began to cheer, I grabbed the camera so I could share it with you all since you couldn't make it to the show...enjoy.
...and then it was time to go home and get a few hours sleep before having to get up for work the following moring, but as you can see, it was well worth a bit of lost sleep to witness such a great musical performance.
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