09.29.24 – By Danielle Linneweber

Two Door Cinema Club returned for their second show in Minneapolis in less than a year on September 29 at The Fillmore. The band sold out their March show at First Avenue and played to a nearly full house this time around, proving the Irishmen have a dedicated fanbase in the Twin Cities with a big appetite for their brand of power pop. 

Petey opened with his angst-ridden rock that clearly resonated with the primarily Gen Z and Millennial crowd. Looking like he just got off work at the local mechanic’s shop, he paced the stage in his gray t-shirt, baseball cap and what looked like Dickies pants while unleashing his pent-up rage in songs like “Pitch A Fit,” “Lean Into Life” and “Don’t Tell The Boys.” The songs went from quiet and melodic one minute to the equivalent of a jarring nervous breakdown the next. Songs like “California” and “Freedom To Fuck Off” were more restrained with an electro-heavy beat and lyrics that appeal to the lost boys of the younger generations who need an outlet for expressing their feelings and frustrations. Petey reminds me of an angry version of Noah Kahan – and I mean that in the best possible way.

Two Door Cinema Club ignored the fact that it was a Sunday night and convinced everyone to stay up way past their bedtime dancing their cares away. They tore into their 24-song set and never let up, as there were no slow ballads or acoustic songs to be found during their hour-and-a-half pop bonanza. Lead singer Alex Trimble set the tone, looking dapper in his black suit. He kept the jacket on all night – seemingly as if he never broke a sweat – despite leading the charge on an impressive setlist laden with disco-fueled beats and catchy choruses. Benjamin Thompson was impressive on the drums as well, throwing his entire body into every song with abandon. 

The band covered all the bangers off their 2010 debut, Tourist History, including “Undercover Martyn,” “This Is The Life,” “Something Good Can Work,” “I Can Talk,” “Do You Want It All,” “Cigarettes In The Theatre,” and “Eat That Up, It’s Good for You” and “What You Know” from the same album rounding out the set. There was little banter between songs as the band whirled through their danceable hits. A highlight for me was “Bad Decisions,” which sounds like a modern-day Bee Gees tune, complete with Trimble’s impressive falsetto. Surprisingly, they didn’t include any songs from 2019’s Kraftwerk-inspired, False Alarm in the setlist. 

Two Door Cinema Club’s appeal lies in their ability to create danceable electro pop with memorable hooks that make their live show feel like a fast-moving disco train that’s on an express route with no stops. Even “Changing of the Seasons,” that details the aftermath of a bad breakup, makes you want to dance. I went to the show, despite it being a school night, because I knew they would help all of us chase away the Sunday Scaries for at least a couple of hours and they delivered.