bugsy headline and sell out 7th St. Entry to celebrate release of new EP

12.08.23 – Photos by Britta Gauer / Review by McKenna Klaphake

Minneapolis indie rock band, bugsy celebrated the release of their new EP, Now I Spend All Of My Time Alone on Friday night at First Avenue’s 7th Street Entry. The band hosted a lineup of other DIY bands from around the Twin Cities and greater Midwest, including Scarlet Demore, Haze Gazer, and 12th House Sun. This sold-out show displayed an array of talented local musicians all there to support bugsy and their excellent new record.

12th House Sun is the musical project of lead singer and guitarist, Kyle Schultz. This alternative rock band has influences of 90’s grunge that gives off a nostalgic feel for those like myself who grew up listening to the same type of music. Their Spotify bio puts it best when describing their music as combining “… emotional lyricism with dreamy soundscapes and riffs you can dance to.” While this set may have been the shortest of the night, the band set the vibe as the crowd rocked back and forth to the beat. Each musician on stage put their whole body into every song as they played pieces that were heavy yet full of energy, highlighted with piercing guitar wails. 12th House Sun played their newest single, “Anxious,” which was released this past August and their songs “CPTSD” and “More Than,” which you can also stream on Spotify. Schultz led the band through a series of released and unreleased songs, previewing a future album, that included, “What If” and “222.” The vocals were slightly incoherent, but whether that was intended or just a technical difficulty is up for debate. Regardless, the band wowed the audience with powerful beat drops and great riffs. You could see the silent communication happening between everyone on stage and this resulted in skillful synchronization as they showed off their impressive talent. 12th House Sun brought the audience to a simmer, preparing for the rest of the bands to turn up the heat.

Local sludge metal band, Haze Gazer performed second and brought the energy up several notches when a mosh pit immediately broke out as they started their first song, “Mortal Wombat.” The band combines the talent of vocalist/guitarist Brian Hause, drummer Michael May, and bassist Mia Pariseau. Those not actively involved in the massive mosh pit were head-banging along to each song that Hause belted out. The singer showed off his vocal stamina as he switched between screaming and low growl-like vocals. Similarly to 12th House Sun, Haze Gazer played several unreleased tracks including “Bearforce One,” “South Korean Car Theft,” and “Sad Evil.” Bassist Pariseau, who is the only female-presenting person in the band, stomped around to the beat as their hair covered their face. The talented musician then dealt with a rowdy fan who demanded to know who they were (apparently wanting to compliment them.) They are probably used to crowd members like this as they handled the fan perfectly by quipping back a sarcastic comment before the band quickly moved on with their set. Haze Gazer played more of their released material including “Termination Station” and “Bleach,” both of which are featured on the band’s 2022 album, You Are In My Heart. Their songs are fast-paced and intense and they were all focused intensely on playing through each passionate track. Haze Gazer’s music makes you feel like you are trudging through the hardest part of rock (hence the apt genre name) and combines lyrics that are real and in your face, like the last song of their set, “Solitary Confinement,” in which the band leads the crowd in repeating the words “No more white politicians // No more republicans.” This was quite evidently a fan favorite as everyone around me screamed along. Lead singer Hause ended their set by saying “Make music with your friends,” which was definitely the theme amongst all the bands that night.

Scarlet Demore may have been an outlier in that they were the only non-local band on Friday night, but that doesn’t mean that they weren’t just as popular as the other opening acts. The crowd went crazy and there were several enthusiastic fans in the audience for them. This is the second time that Scarlet Demore played in Minneapolis and from the way the crowd reacted, it won’t be their last either. Lead singer Cat Ayala wrangled the crowd by asking us, “Does Minneapolis like to get down? Does Minneapolis like to get nasty?” before the band broke into their first song. In addition to Ayala, Scarlet Demore consists of guitarist Alex Gonzalez, guitarist Joel Smith, bassist G Passaro, and drummer Angelo Santayo. Their music is highly energetic with punk, rock, and emo influences. The whole band was entertaining to watch as they danced around and sang along to their own musical creations. Their energy was mirrored by the crowd as we head banged through each punchy chorus. The band played the song, “Wendy’s A Pisces,” which is featured on their 2023 EP, Baby Teeth. Guitarist Smith, dressed in a boy scout looking uniform, caught my eye with his facial expressions as he played around with guitarist Gonzalez. The two riffed through each vigorous track, keeping the audience on our toes. Additionally, Scarlet Demore performed a few of their singles including, “Peaches” and “Spiked Seltzer.” Gonzalez executed passionate guitar solos at the edge of the stage, quite literally shoving his impressive talent right in our faces. The crowd wasn’t exactly moshing at this point, but they had certainly completely let go as they danced along to each song. Scarlet Demore then covered the song “Romantic” by Mannequin Pussy and the audience couldn’t get enough! Lead singer Ayala had great banter with the audience as she guided us through each song and her vocal belts were awe inspiring as she sang through their fiery pieces. They finished with “A/B” and “Dead Men,” two more songs off their recent EP. The latter of which vocalist Ayala stated is about “shitty fucking men.” Guitarist Gonzalez jumped into the crowd to finish the song and while surrounded by stunned fans and moshers, he fiercely played through the last couple of choruses before ending back on the stage. Scarlet Demore is without a doubt a new favorite of mine and I was convinced of that right after their first song had ended. Their tracks are catchy and well-written, their energy was contagious and I, along with many others, wanted more. The band got the crowd exuberantly warmed up for the headlining act of the night, bugsy.

Bugsy’s performance not only celebrated their new EP, but it also marked their first time ever headlining a show, surprisingly. Having seen them perform three other times this year alone, I felt a special fondness experiencing this sold-out show. It felt like a culmination of, what I can only guess, is an unimaginable amount of hard work. The stage was decorated with pieces of lace attached to the drum set and amps. The microphone stand was wrapped in ivy and a huge spider hung over their heads (an allusion to their song “recluse.”) The lacey backdrop matched the album art and was draped in a friendship bracelet inspired cut out of the EP title, Now I Spend All Of My Time Alone. Lead vocalist/guitarist Emily Schoonover, bassist/vocalist Shannon Maroney, guitarist Griffen Desai, and drummer Alex Norman make up bugsy and they have been creating music together since 2019. This is the band’s second EP and follows their 2020 release, Teratoma.

They walked on stage to the iconic song “Crazy Frog,” which was totally fitting for a band like bugsy. They all shared a precious group hug before walking to their assigned places and starting their highly anticipated set. They began with “town crier,” the first song off their new EP. From the very beginning everyone on stage was playing off of each other and having fun. They all wore matching bolo ties with the signature bunny featured on the EP’s album cover. The crowd went crazy as bugsy played a mix of almost all of their recorded material including songs from their first EP and various singles. As a big fan of bugsy, I was excited to hear everything that they were prepared to perform. Drummer Norman effortlessly flowed each song into the next as they played the songs “capo 3,” “talk to you,” and “drunk.” The entire crowd seemed to be singing along to every lyric and ad lib and everyone screamed when they started playing the intro to “Slip n Slide.” Live shows are so special because the beats hit harder and everything just feels more raw. Knowing and listening to the recorded material is one thing, but getting to breathe it all in and listen to it in person is a whole other experience. In addition to groovy bass lines, Maroney provided fantastic harmonies and at one point took full advantage of their platform to address the genocide in Gaza. They not only encouraged support for Palestine, but they also encouraged everyone to take care of themselves alongside it all.

The band played several more songs from their new EP including “soup,” “Tiger Beetle,” “oh well,” and “inchworm.” They then welcomed Schoonover’s girlfriend, who is a star in her own right with her impressive talent and ability to fit right in with the band, on stage to play a few songs including my personal favorite “hard to breathe.” Schoonover seemed to come out of their shell once they were able to focus more on the vocals when their girlfriend took over on guitar. They belted through each piece as the crowd moshed to the upbeat indie rock songs. Bugsy then surprised us with a mind-blowing cover of Aly and AJ’s “Potential Breakup Song” and everyone went crazy and sang along at the top of their lungs. Nadirah McGill, of the legendary local band Gully Boys, made a special appearance in the crowd as Schoonover extended the microphone for them to sing along. The band finished with the last song on the EP, “recluse,” however, they quickly returned to the stage as the crowd cheered for more. They performed an unreleased song for their encore, stating that it is part of a whole album that died in their music-making process. Bugsy fans alike can only hope that one day this illusive album is brought to light.

Bugsy should be really proud, not only of their incredible EP but also of how well the show was curated and executed. Every set flowed seamlessly into the next and got the crowd on their feet. High energy pulsed through the room as organized chaos broke out in each mosh pit. Their hard work paid off as fans went crazy for them and all of the supporting bands. As bugsy celebrates their success of 2023, this fan cannot wait to see what 2024 has in store!