11.26.23 – By McKenna Klaphake

Folks escaped the frigid air last Sunday night as they piled into First Avenue’s 7th Street Entry to see California rockers Carpool Tunnel and Chase Petra perform with openers Similar Kind and Rochester natives, Greentop. This lineup showed the beauty of indie/alternative music and while all of the bands could fall under this genre, they each brought their own unique take to it.

Greentop represented the local music scene on this bill with their self described “road trip rock.” The band consists of lead singer/guitarist Isaac Jahns, his brother and guitarist Lucas Jahns, saxophonist Gavin Sparks, bassist Tony Zeller, and drummer Dylan Hilliker. Dressed in an iconic Twilight shirt, Lucas displayed a face of intense concentration as he harmonized his guitar with Isaac’s upbeat melodies. Greentop performed their songs “Third Past Four” and “Wait for Me,” which both debuted on their 2019 EP, Resolved. The addition of Sparks on the saxophone influenced their music with a more groovy and laid-back sound. 

Everyone in the band was dancing around to the sounds of their own creations, but I especially enjoyed seeing bassist Zeller singing along passionately to each song. It’s always so great to see musicians really get into their pieces because it marks the difference between just singing or playing an instrument and truly performing. In addition to their released material, Greentop performed an unreleased song which further highlighted the beautiful combination of jazzy saxophone and punchy rock beats. The band noted that they were celebrating the fifth anniversary of their debut album, Dumb Luck, and performed a handful of songs from that record including “Starling” and “Going Away.” Greentop has become a new favorite of mine. They did a fantastic job warming up the crowd and representing the talented bands across Minnesota and the larger Midwest. 

Similar Kind is an indie pop band from Norwalk, Connecticut consisting of vocalist Julia Breen, guitarist Ben McNamara, bassist Prince Porter, keyboardist Jake James, and drummer Miles Dominici. Their music is identifiable by multifaceted and energetic beats. The band’s Spotify biography describes their music best as, “dance-ready synth-pop equal parts R&B, pop, and indie rock.” This combination also creates an 80’s pop influence heard in many of their tracks. Dressed in overalls, lead singer Breen took full advantage of their space as they moved around the stage and often stood face-to-face with those in the front row. Breen interacted with all of their fellow bandmates as they performed their single, “Parked Car Conversations.” Similar Kind then played their newest song, “Too Tired,” which was released this summer. This song encapsulates the band’s sound with more synth-heavy pop beats. Breen showcased excellent stage presence while they bantered with the audience and stated that their job was to get us as an audience warmed up. The band energetically did just that as they played seemingly improvised instrumentals. Bassist Porter and guitarist McNamara then switched instruments for the song, “Face to Face.” I have rarely seen musicians switch instruments like this and I think it just goes to show how talented the band really is. 

Similar Kind continued their set by performing an incredible cover of “Pretty Young Thing” by Michael Jackson while the crowd sang along to this recognizable piece. It is an excellent choice for lesser-known bands to perform covers, especially ones that are similar to the style of music that they play as it shows the audience a sound that they recognize, essentially saying “if you like this, then you’ll probably like us.” Similar Kind expertly flowed each song into the next with minimal silence and downtime. The band ended their set with a performance of their most popular song, “Nobody Loves You.” The catchy chorus will absolutely get stuck in your head, just like it did in mine. Similar Kind further ignited the flame heating up the room that night and did exactly what they said they would and got the audience warmed up for the two headlining acts. 

It was clear that many of the attendees on Sunday night showed up for indie rock band, Chase Petra. This band out of Long Beach, California has gone viral on TikTok and gained millions of streams since their start. This was the second time they have performed in Minnesota, the first time being on the University of Minnesota campus earlier this year. However, like many of the other bands, this was Chase Petra’s debut on the iconic 7th St. Entry stage. The crowd went crazy as we suddenly heard the words, “It’s La Push baby” and the iconic song “Eyes on Fire” by Blue Foundation, made popular by the Twilight movie, played as the band walked on stage and prepped while we fell deep into the nostalgic sound.

Chase Petra includes vocalist/guitarist Hunter Allen, guitarist Genevieve Quiquivix, and bassist/vocalist Brooke Dickson. The band was also joined by drummer Ciara De Alba for this tour. Lead vocalist Allen noted that they were sick (with Dickson already having lost her voice) and asked the crowd to sing along loudly. Everyone dutifully listened as the room echoed with a symphony of die-hard fans voices singing along with the angsty and passionate lyrics that Chase Petra have become known for. The band started with a performance of “Reliable Narrator” and Allen had everyone sing along to easy ad libs at the end of the song. While a sing-along might be risky to do during the first piece, it was perfectly executed and everyone, despite their knowledge of the lyrics, was able to join in. The band then played the song “Jocelyn” and proved that sickness could not keep them from rocking out. Guitarist Quiquivix fiercely played through each intense riff while kicking the air and encouraging everyone to not only sing along but sing along loudly. My eyes were drawn to her facial expressions as she engaged the audience throughout each song. Insatiable energy spread through the room as Allen belted out each punk rock inspired song that is reminiscent of early Panic At The Disco. 

The band performed more of their popular songs including “Keanu Reeves,” “Nature vs Nurture,” “See You Next Tuesday,” and “Monet Issues.” Allen then took the time to use their platform to address the genocide that’s currently going on in Palestine. They announced their solidarity with their Palestinian and Muslim friends and provided resources to learn more and donate at their merch table. I think it is so important that anyone with a platform can recognize their ability to influence and use that to better their community. I really admire Chase Petra for doing this while on tour. They then performed their song “Pacific,” which is my personal favorite. While Allen’s voice may have temporarily faded, the crowd easily picked it up as they sang the chorus at the top of their lungs, myself included. The band also made sure to perform their newest single, “Soapy Water” that was released this past June. Chase Petra finished with arguably their most popular track, “Prologue.” Despite the song discussing feeling stagnant and illustrating a pessimistic, yet realistic, viewpoint on the world, the band encouraged friends and strangers alike to do si do and swing each other around during the song. To finish the show guitarist Quiquivix jumped into the crowd as she wailed through some epic guitar riffs and got surrounded by excited fans. While I am entirely biased, this was my favorite set of the night not only because of how great the band performed but also because the crowd showed up and supported Chase Petra. The feeling of community and togetherness permeated the room throughout their entire set. 

The second headlining act, Carpool Tunnel showed off their California roots as they played through their upbeat set. The band’s indie rock sound has beach pop influences that has amassed a large following with millions of Spotify streams. Carpool Tunnel is made up of the talented Kalani Faith (bass/vocals), Bradley Kearsley (guitar/vocals), Ben Koopenjan (guitar/vocals), and Junior Reed (drums/vocals). Everyone put their whole body into each song as they rode the energy that was built up by the previous three bands. Carpool Tunnel played a variety of songs from their six years of released material including “Flora,” which premiered on the band’s 2021 album, Bloom. The band makes the kind of music that you can just let go and dance to. They got the crowd to clap along as they performed more of their songs including, “Nothing I’d Rather Do” and “Drought.” Bassist Faith and guitarist Kearsely added beautiful harmonies and backup vocals that produced a sound that was mellow yet passionate. 

You can hear the same harmonies in one of the band’s slower pieces, “Moon Song,” which is featured on Carpool Tunnel’s latest album, Don’t Let Them Pass You By. One of my favorite performances of their set was the song, “Nostalgia.” This is a fantastic piece because of the perfectly executed mix of calm verses and punchy choruses that drip with beachy pop beats. Guitarist Kearsley was highlighted at the end of this song as he expertly played riff after riff. Lead vocalist Koopenjan has such a mesmerizing voice that is unique and easy on the ears. The classic sound further shows the influence that California beach culture has on this bands music. About halfway through the show Carpool Tunnel asked audience members to tell their best jokes and while the band diligently tuned their instruments a few audience members gave us their wittiest, and admittedly cringe-worthy, jokes. The band then performed “Shining,” which Koopenjan shared was one of the first songs they wrote as a band. In the track, Koopenjan passionately belts the lyrics, “You don’t care about me.” It’s clear that this first song was just a launchpad for the success of the band. Carpool Tunnel then played “Holding on/Letting Go” before finishing their set with “Empty Faces” and had the audience wrapped around their fingers as we held on to each beat. Whether you knew their songs or not, Carpool Tunnel were sure to get you dancing along during their lively and engaging set. 

Every single band on this bill expressed genuine gratitude that made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. It contributed to the magic that comes with experiencing live music. Having the physical band mere feet in front of you creates an exciting feeling you will never get from solely listening to a band’s recorded material. Despite it being a Sunday after a busy holiday weekend, the energy in the room didn’t seem to falter. While I may have gone to the show with an interest in Chase Petra, I walked away having three new favorite bands, and that is the true beauty of smaller shows.