By McKenna Klaphake

Friday, July 7th was a night jam packed with local talent at the Icehouse in Minneapolis. Blssm, a local art initiative dedicated to bringing people together through music, co-hosted a DNM (“denim”) party with a wide array of performances. The show celebrated the recent song releases from local band, DNM but also featured music from HEYARLO, Wndrlnd, Ava Levy, 5ifthhouse, and AstroLex. The night was spearheaded, and seemingly curated, by DeCarlo Jackson (Hippo Campus, HEYARLO, DNM,) who was an excellent host and explained how the show was set up, which was great because I was definitely confused when I approached the venue. The first two sets were performed under a tent outside and then everyone was encouraged to go inside for the rest of the show. 

HEYARLO started the night with enjoyable jazz music. This instrumental set highlighted some of the most talented musicians that the Twin Cities has to offer. In addition to Jackson on the trumpet, HEYARLO consists of guitarist Evan Slack, bassist Meg Mahoney, and drummer Rick Haneman. The band was also joined by keyboardist Sam Rosenstone, who recently accompanied Hippo Campus on their national tour. 

They performed amazing jazz songs, and as someone who doesn’t typically gravitate towards this kind of music, I found myself totally engaged. HEYARLO did a fantastic job at keeping the audience on our toes as Jackson floated on and off stage to deliver incredible riffs on the trumpet. There were also fantastic solos from drummer, Haneman and keyboardist, Rosenstone that kept the audience constantly interested. They performed pieces including, “Be More Chill,” “May Day,” and “Remembrance.” There is something incredibly special about this type of music as it requires unspoken communication and ultra honed listening skills. At one point, Jackson noticed that something was off and made a comment to the rest of the band who were able to pick up his instruction and correct accordingly. It’s something that is incredibly difficult and I can only imagine comes with years of experience. It was clear that everyone in the band truly enjoyed playing this set as there were smiles across everyone’s faces and Jackson grooved to the symphony of his own creation. HEYARLO was a great choice to start the night and set the mood for what was yet to come. 

Artists and DJ under the name “Wndrlnd” spun some chill house music for the following hour which transitioned the outside performances to the inside of the venue.

Inside, singer songwriter, Ava Levy began the second portion of the DNM party. The artist’s music has a grunge influence combined with sweet vocals and personal lyrics. After her first song, she was supported by guitarist/bassist Henry Breen (WHY NOT) and drummer Samuel Stroup. Levy performed her recent release, “not ur clown” in addition to a track that they announced would be released soon. Despite admitting to losing her voice last weekend, Levy displayed immense talent and prepped the crowd coming from outside for the rest of the show. 

5ifthhouse comprises of guitarist Zoé Challenger, bassist Inayah, and drummer Bobby Kabeya (Miloe.) This band shifted the vibe in the audience from laid back to rowdy and ready to rock. It was clear that the crowd were big fans of them and it’s no secret why. The hauntingly beautiful harmonies mixed with fierce drum beats made for fun and lively tracks. The music had a punk influence to it as lead vocalists screamed the lyrics and told the audience to open the pit during the last song. Unfortunately this incredible band doesn’t have any released material yet, so you’ll just have to catch them live next time they perform!

The show culminated with the main act of the night, DNM. I’ve been listening to DNM since the last Blssm event back in 2021. I was so excited to get to see them perform again, only this time with more material! The band consists of DeCarlo Jackson on bass, Nathnaél Fikru on guitar, Moise Igeno on lead vocals, and Joseph Carl Hays on drums. The band was also joined by Sam Rosenstone on keys for this performance. 

DNM performed their first single, and my personal favorite, “Shiny,” as well as “FALLING OUT” and one of their new releases titled, “LAYUP.” While Igeno led most of the tracks as lead singer, all four performers took turns as vocalist as well as providing back up ad libs and harmonies. The band also performed a single titled, “Cell Phone Receiver” which was written by Igeno. 

At this point in the night everyone in the audience was laid back and truly let loose to DNM’s light hearted and funky tracks. Their catchy songs are guaranteed to get stuck in your head after just one listen. It’s no surprise that this band is so successful when you have local powerhouses Jake Luppen and Whistler Isaiah Allen (Hippo Campus) helping produce their new releases. 

The night wrapped up with two more DJ’s, AstroLex, and another set by Wndrlnd for those who didn’t want the night to end. Blssm accomplished their mission on Friday night and brought folks together for some amazing music. It was great to see everyone mingling with each other; it was truly community building in action. Complete with a denim photo wall, Blssm and DNM thought of everything for this expertly curated night of music.