11.17.23 – By McKenna Klaphake

Local pop punk band, Dial Tone celebrated the release of their self-titled debut album on Friday, November 17 at the Cedar Cultural Center by hosting a lineup full of up-and-coming Minneapolis talent including Creeping Charlie and Daphne Jane. This fully femme-fronted show brought in fans from all backgrounds and a palpable energy of excitement and anticipation swirled through the room. 

Creeping Charlie began the night with a solo set from lead singer and guitarist, Julia Eubanks. The artist wore bright red pants and held a guitar decorated with butterflies and the words “Weapon of Mass Construction” boldly written on it. According to the band’s Spotify, “Creeping Charlie makes music for cool older sisters.” They have been taking the local scene by storm with their 90’s grunge-inspired tracks. This stripped-down performance highlighted Eubanks’ talent as she played mostly unreleased songs. The singer encouraged the audience to sing along to the lyrics “It doesn’t hurt like that anymore,” but unfortunately, I don’t think the crowd was warmed up enough because any vocal, outside of Eubanks’, was lost. The artist performed one of the band’s released songs titled “Gray Eyes,” which debuted on their 2020 EP, Asymmetrical. Despite the stripped-down performance, Eubanks was able to capture the band’s sound through her timid vocals and epic guitar riffs. Eubanks finished with the song “sinkhole,” which included beautifully written and relatable lyrics like “I can’t pay attention anymore but lord knows I’m trying” and “Sometimes my body feels like an itchy sweater.” These lyrics stood out more because of the limited instruments in the stripped-down performance. This solo set not only allowed us as audience members to focus more on the band’s lyricism, but it also showed off the talent of vocalist and guitarist Eubanks. I look forward to being able to attend a future show where I can witness the full Creeping Charlie experience. 

Queer bedroom pop artist, Daphne Jane entered the stage next followed by her band; keyboardist Connor Bahauddin (Chutes), guitarist Nate Walker (Aiden Intro), bassist Joe Rendelman (Aiden Intro), and drummer Martín Corral (Ivers). Jane was donned in a delicate white outfit complete with arm warmers, knee-high socks, and her iconic hair bows. The lead singer joined the group on the guitar as they started with the track “Dreamland.” Jane, who hails from the upper peninsula of Michigan, gave a shout out to her dad, who was in the audience, crediting him for her name, Daphne Jane. The band then played “Pink Promise,” which Jane described as being guitarist Walker’s favorite track. Walker is an incredibly talented artist and you could see this in his laid-back personality as he interacted with all of his bandmates on stage. He expertly riffed through each song and the crowd went crazy. 

Daphne Jane and her band debuted a performance of Jane’s most recent release, “clementines.” The singer stated that the track is about nostalgia and the feeling of it getting colder and trying to cherish the last bit of warmth while preparing for winter, “… and nobody sees your cute fits… it’s hard to be a fashionista,” she jokingly added. The artist’s personality shone through her set as she explained the meaning and influences behind each song. The band played more of Daphne Jane’s released material including “Green,” “Gemini,” and “Sleepyhead.” The group also performed a medley of tracks by fellow bedroom pop artist, Clairo. Daphne Jane finished with another recent release of hers (and my personal favorite) called “Months,” which she wrote with Walker. The song’s carefree feeling encourages listeners to sway along to the dream-like beat. 

I first saw Daphne Jane perform at a show back in March and I think the artist just gets better with each performance. This is largely due to the combination of Jane really showing off her personality in between songs and the band bringing immense energy to the typically slower indie songs. The group did a fabulous job at warming up the crowd for the main act.

When the headlining band, Dial Tone entered the stage the room was filled with the most people that I have seen attending a show at the Cedar Cultural Center. Fans of all ages crammed in to support the band and celebrate the release of their first album. Dial Tone features University of Minnesota students Cole Pivac on vocals and guitar, Henning Hanson on drums, and Daisy Forester on vocals and bass. Everyone wore matching white button-down long-sleeved shirts that were quickly ditched as the room heated up. The band began with a fiery and synchronized performance of the track “AED,” and then kept up that same energy throughout their whole set as they played through their entire album, showing off their catchy choruses and upbeat instrumentals. Guitarist Pivac wooed the audience with his jaw-dropping talent and encouraged us to clap along to their song “Marilyn.” While the band has expertly crafted a sound for themselves, they also prove that they aren’t afraid to experiment, especially with the track, “Ambrosia,” which has more punk influences as Forester screams the lyrics, “fuck you, fuck me.”

Dial Tone surprised us all when they brought local queer punk band, Vial on stage. Bassist Taylor Kraemer, guitarist KT Branscom, and drummer Katie Fischer (who joined the band on cowbell) performed with Dial Tone for a couple of songs including one of Vial’s titled “Roadkill.” “We’re gunna play a couple songs with Dial Tone and you’re gunna go fucking crazy… Together we are Vial Tone,” Branscom appropriately noted. As a big fan of Vial, I was stoked to get to hear them play with Dial Tone. They blended together so beautifully and the performance proved just how unified the local scene can be. 

Lead vocalist, Forester amazed the audience with her vocal prowess as she belted through each song. The band performed “Bitch Cup,” which was originally titled “Codependency” when it was released earlier this year as their first single. Dial Tone smoothly switched between calm verses and highly energetic and passionate choruses. Everyone on stage put their whole body into each song, which in turn gave the audience permission to let go and dance along. Each song casually transitioned into the next with the band filling silence with instrumentals or Forester explaining their process in making the album. During their performance of the song, “Say It Like You Mean It” the band sat on a couch that had been set up with a rug and lamp on one side of the stage. Forester explained that this was how they wrote the song; the three of them just sitting on a couch making music, before going into a stripped-down version of it. This allowed us as audience members a glimpse into their music-making process. Then the lights went out and we waited in anticipation as the band finished the song acoustically. I loved the way that the band was able to display how the song started and where it is now. It was clear that they had thought of everything to make this show as engaging as it was. From the rotary dial on stage to the explanation of making the album, audience members seemed to get an inside scoop on this up-and-coming band.

Dial Tone continued to play through their debut album including the tracks, “No Foul,” “Time for A Living,” “Ferris Bueller,” and “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” The latter of which originally premiered on Radio K, who was one of the sponsors of the show. Each song blended into the next like it was one continuing story, and I was there for the whole thing. The band then covered local legends, Hippo Campus and their song “Suicide Saturday.” They followed this piece with the concluding song on their album, “On the Shoulders of Giants.” Forester explained that the title of this song is the only phrase to describe how they feel making music in the Twin Cities. It was evident that the band has immense respect for the illustrious history of music in Minnesota, and they have certainly carved out a place for themselves among the greats. The crowd chanted the band’s name, begging for an encore, and Dial Tone returned to the stage shortly thereafter to finish the show with a cover of Prince’s, “Let’s Go Crazy,” as fans of all ages danced together to this iconic song. 

Everything about Dial Tone’s set was excellent and it reminded me of why I love local music. I mean, where else can you get a front-row experience to an incredibly talented band for less than $20? There was never a dull moment and each song made me excited for the next. Dial Tone paid homage to the past and present of Minnesota music with this line-up of local talent as the opening acts highlighted artists on the rise. In addition to being surrounded by a large number of college students, you couldn’t help but feel excited for the future as we wait to see what they all do next.

Dial Tone’s self-titled debut album is out now!