Sam Morril will perform stand-up at the Pantages Theater in Minneapolis on Friday for two headlining shows. His two podcasts, “We Might be Drunk” and “Games with Names,” are out on streaming services now.

Morril, a lifelong New Yorker, performed for more than a decade in the famous clubs of New York with little national attention. Nowadays, Morril is headlining theaters across the country after the release of his third special for Netflix titled “Same Time Tomorrow.”

Morril’s jokes often bait the audience before switching their tone at the punchline. The opening joke of “Same Time Tomorrow” exemplifies Morril’s ability to bait and switch with ease. The swift and dry delivery Morril uses adds to the effectiveness of his often dark jokes.

The Minnesota Daily chatted with Morril during one of his stops on “The Class Act Tour.”

When did your first start doing open mics?

“I started right when I was finishing high school in New York City, so I was probably 18. It’s been a while, man. I’m 36 now. You don’t go as hard as you should when you’re starting out. Or at least you don’t realize how hard middle-level comics are working. At least some level of comedy writing is happening, because you might get a bit out of something.”

Does that mean that you’re writing stuff all the time then? Or what is your writing process?

“It means I am an unpleasant person to date and be close to.

No, but for real, it just means I am always a little bit in comedy mode. Even last night, something unpleasant happened on the road and we were immediately making jokes about it. It’s a weirdly optimistic way to live because when something terrible happens you’re like, ‘well, at least I’ll get a good bit.’ I think that’s why I have so many good breakup jokes. Everyone has had their heart broken and, out of all my material, breakup jokes hit all across the country most consistently.”

Speaking of shows, I heard that you taped seven different shows in Chicago for your latest special “Same Time Tomorrow.” Is that true?

“Well, that’s just me being crazy. It costs a lot of money to film that many, and I think usually comics just film like two. I just was like ‘ah it’s a small venue I could fill it a bunch of times’ and that way I could relax after every show. Plus filming a special is so stressful.

I don’t think I’ll ever film a special in New York City again. If you’re in the city, it’s just too many texts. I’ll get like 40 texts asking if people’s tickets are at the box office on the day of filming. It’s all people who mean well, and you don’t want to leave people hanging, but you don’t want to be on your phone texting when you could be thinking of the sets or relaxing with your friends in the green room.”

How does podcasting fit into your comedy writing? Are you thinking of bits while you do “We Might be Drunk” with Mark Normand and your other podcast “Games with Names” with former NFL player Julian Edelman?

“I try to think of funny angles for ‘Games with Names,’ but most of the stuff Edelman and I talk about on there doesn’t really translate into material on stage. I think you lose some people at a comedy show when you talk about sports. I like the ‘Games with Names’ one though because it requires a little extra preparation for guests sometimes. Like if we have a Boston Bruins hockey player on, I am going to have to do a little more research because I am more of a basketball guy and Julian obviously knows football really well.”

Do you have a most memorable guest on your sports podcast?

“Eli Manning was pretty great for me. Just that game as a New York dude, you know, beating the undefeated New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. Eli and Peyton Manning were both just great guests. They have a great sense of humor, they’re informed and they just know how to talk in an interview.”

Going back to the writing process, do you actually write your jokes out in a notebook or what’s your process there?

“I have to write them out. I’m visual so I need them in word documents, notepads and anything I can look at the joke on. The problem with writing it out too much though is that a joke can sound too written. So what I’ll do is talk it out onstage.

There’s almost a beauty to doing a joke for the first time onstage. When it’s too written, a joke is probably not going to do well. But when you don’t know exactly where the joke is going yet just how it’s going to end, you’ll sometimes stumble upon a couple extra punchlines along the way.”

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Twin Cities-based band Harlow blended folk rock with alternative country at the Turf Club in St. Paul on Saturday while opening for fellow locals Maria and the Coins.

Hailing from Red Wing, Harlow recently gained local attention after playing First Avenue’s Best New Bands of 2022 show in January. Through passionate live performances and narrative lyrics, Harlow has quickly gained a sizable Twin Cities following.

On “Rainbow Trout,” Harlow’s newest release, lead vocalist Samuel Ketcham sings of countryside images while the band mixes in instrumentals. “Rainbow Trout” is a hopeful tune about new love while using fishing metaphors lyrically.

“It’s when it looks rather dim that you get a bite on your cast-out line, and you jump in the air with a rainbow shine – can’t help but stare,” Ketcham sang.

Harlow’s set also filled the Turf Club with harmonies when the band, along with the other opening act, Brooke Elizabeth, sang a lovely cover of the Gillian Welch song “Dear Someone.” A singer-songwriter who is also from Red Wing, Elizabeth played affecting acoustic folk songs during her set.

The cover of “Dear Someone” featured Elizabeth and Ketcham singing classic country while backed by guitars. Ketcham said he had been singing with Elizabeth since they met in their mutual hometown.

Harlow also played the more upbeat folk-rock anthem “Too Many Sides (Of the Same Coin).” The song may remind listeners of The Head and the Heart’s earlier music. “Too Many Sides (Of the Same Coin)” succeeds by blending Ketcham’s strong vocal melody with a catchy drum beat. The song is a soundtrack for any drive home after a hard day’s work.

Harlow ended their sentimental set by singing “Palo Alto,” one of their most popular tracks. The song tells an interwoven story of remembrance. Although the characters in the song are unclear, the portrait the band inspires with the song is magnificently tragic.

“Glad you found those old journals and gave me a few to explain what you never could as a parent – I guess it had to be written out. In those amber waves of dairy, Wisconsin in the ‘70s,” Ketcham sang with a profound reminiscence.

Harlow’s most recent EP, “Other Lives, Told,” showcases the band’s deep musicality by balancing different genres of music without sacrificing quality. Songs like “Pathetic at the Zoo” demonstrate the band’s ability to go from a catchy folk-rock anthem right into an emotional country ballad on the same project.

“Pathetic at the Zoo” brings forth a breakup ballad where Harlow uses yearning string-based instrumentation and piano to tell the story of a relationship falling apart during a trip to the zoo. The song delivers a somber lyrical story with Ketcham sorrowfully singing, “I know that it’s all free, but the lions look depressed as they see my attempt to win you back.”

Harlow’s performance at the Turf Club emulated the songwriting process of a band that will surely continue to make waves in the Twin Cities music scene.

Caleb Wright has made a name for himself in the Twin Cities by producing music for a variety of local artists, such as Hippo Campus, Papa Mbye and Raffaella. In January, Wright executive-produced and co-wrote the album “Honey” by Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Samia by mining deeply personal terrain: his mother’s sudden death.

With an innovative approach, Wright produces music using personal voicemails, smartphone recordings and atmospheric motifs. The results often captivate audiences and since the release of Samia’s newest album, “Honey,” Wright’s production has begun earning widespread critical acclaim.

By staying authentic to his collaborative process of engaging in the psyche and life experience of artists during songwriting, Wright unlocked emotional depth in his work with Samia.

“In the middle of this process of writing the Samia record, my mom died suddenly in an accident,” Wright said. “I remember Samia had sent me a voice memo with a different chorus for ‘Honey,’ and I was sitting in my backyard with my guitar in my hand. All of the sudden, I started playing this new chorus melody and I sent it to her. She texted back saying, ‘That’s it.’”

Wright and Samia also found inspiration for her new album through a collection of conversations that strengthened their friendship, Wright said.

“We had talked through all these relational and emotional landscapes and started writing the song ‘Pink Balloon.’ That process uncovered this confidence, drive and vulnerability in Samia that shaped how she wanted the record to sound,” Wright said.

The trust that their relationship carries translates into the work they do together on songs like the title track on Samia’s new record, “Honey.” Wright centers the singer’s intricate lyricism and mesmerizing vocals in the song to display a melancholic mood.

“There were so many moments where I felt my mom’s energy in the process of creating the record and how easy that melody came to fruition was definitely one of them. Moments like that made for a really deep songwriting experience with Samia,” Wright said.

Wright grew up in the Twin Cities music scene, attending high school at the St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Arts with the members of Hippo Campus. In 2015, he started a band called The Happy Children and played basement shows, occasionally opened for Hippo Campus and became a Twin Cities scene favorite.

Jerard Fagerberg, a contributor to Racket who wrote a feature on The Happy Children for City Pages in 2018, said Wright brings an energetic attitude to music.

“I really just liked his energy when I first met him. That was something that really captivated me about him. He channeled that energy and it got audiences invigorated right away,” Fagerberg said. “He was collaborative, engaged and conscious of everything they were doing at that time. He seems like the kind of guy who understands how to foster creative ties because that’s what makes good music, and I think he inherently knows that.”

Wright is also in the band Baby Boys with Hippo Campus members Jake Lupin and Nathan Stocker. Through production on albums like “Threesome” by Baby Boys, Wright built a reputation, eventually becoming a trusted producer for other Twin Cities alternative artists like Papa Mbye.

Wright first met Papa Mbye in 2021 at a local recording session with Hippo Campus. Papa Mbye said the process of working with Wright started with text messages of encouragement and then grew into a formal musical partnership.

Most recently, Wright and Mbye collaborated on the song “Mad at me” from Samia’s “Honey.”

“What I appreciate about him is that before we even formally worked together in the studio, we had been doing the creative work of digging into the meaning of the songs and the philosophy of me as an artist,” Mbye said.

Currently, Wright is mixing Mbye’s next EP. Listeners can expect the still-untitled work to be released later this year, according to Mbye.

The sheer amount of projects Wright has contributed to throughout the years in the Twin Cities music scene exemplifies his restless drive. However, now a father of two kids, Wright said he is comfortable sticking to production and behind-the-scenes work in the future.

“I was getting a little burnt out by doing all the things, you know, managing the business and the events. I just wanted to be a part of the creative process,” Wright said. “I just want to make the music now.”

Art pop singer-songwriter Samia performed Friday at a sold-out First Avenue, presenting a set overflowing with complex lyricism and ethereal vocals from her newest album, “Honey.”

Through her mighty vocal melodies, daringly honest lyrics and energetic dancing, Samia’s live performance engaged the audience in new ways. Samia’s music navigates the anguish and euphoria of her mid-20s life with melodic ease.

Samia sang “Breathing Song,” a heartbreaking ballad about a traumatic relationship, with only a piano player backing her. Samia demonstrated vocal range and distinct capability for conveying intense experiences as she belted the last notes of the song through visible tears.

Other ballads like “Winnebago” off her first album, “The Baby,” featured the full band’s booming instrumentals on the outro while she sang, “I wanna be your poetry, I’m sick and tired of bluffing.”

In an interview with the Minnesota Daily, the Minneapolis-based artist and executive producer of her new album, Caleb Wright, recently shared his experience writing with Samia.

“We would get together and talk a lot about everything. Then we would go our separate ways for a bit and both write,” Wright said. “Through that process, we sort of spiritually shaped this concept and emotional bandwidth for what the album was.”

The title track off of “Honey” is a playfully cynical tune Wright helped write over voice messages and texts with Samia. Wright joined Samia onstage at the show for the last chorus of “Honey.” The two friends raised their arms in exclamation at the end of the song and then hugged each other.

“Whew, thanks for letting us do that. That was a spiritual experience for us,” Samia said with a laugh.

Minneapolis-based alternative artist Papa Mbye also joined Samia on stage while she performed “Mad at Me,” featuring Mbye. The synth-heavy production combined with the song’s catchy melody had the crowd singing and dancing.

For one of the encore songs, Samia’s friend and Minneapolis-based artist Raffaella sang “Shaking the Can,” from their supergroup Peach Fuzz. Their music sounded both melodically conversational and joyful.

Tommy Lefroy, the opening act consisting of Tessa Mouzourakis and Wynter Bethel, mixed their vocals with Samia’s during an intimate rendition of “Dream Song” that featured the three singers effortlessly harmonizing together.

Samia’s performance ended with the rising star declaring her love for Minneapolis and its music scene before a passionate rendition of her song “Show Up,” in which she sang, “Nothing could ever stop my ass from showing up, to sing another song for the people I love.”

On Stage, founded by University of Minnesota alum Lucas Erickson, is engaging in theater outreach programs around campus this semester, hoping to spark an interest in theater among younger audiences.

On Stage focuses on partnering with smaller theater companies as a way to reach broader audiences. The plays they choose to discuss with students are often related to prevalent social, cultural and political issues, according to their mission statement.

“For students and younger people, I think there’s a lot that goes into younger audiences going to see theater. First, is it even relevant to them and their life?” Erickson said. “We’re just trying to make some sort of connection to their personal lives so that maybe they go see live local theater.”

There are many reasons local plays are having trouble finding theater audiences according to Qiuxia Welch, the marketing, communications and front-of-house director for the University’s theater arts and dance program.

“In a world where people have access to countless forms of entertainment at their fingertips, convincing them to leave their homes and attend a live theater show can be difficult,” Welch said.

One of On Stage’s educators, Wendy Knox, the artistic director at Frank Theatre in south Minneapolis, said she hopes On Stage will invite new audiences to not only enjoy theater but to learn from it too.

“On Stage strives to engage college students in the idea that theater is not simply for entertainment but can help us understand and explore questions we have about the world we live in. Theater can be of equal use to the study of environmental science as it is to history, for example,” Knox said.

In a University environmental sciences class on Feb. 8, On Stage discussed the environmental issues in “Mlima’s Tale.” The 2018 play written by New York-based playwright Lynn Nottage follows the illegal elephant ivory trade in Kenya.

The students moved into sections across the classroom based on their views on hunting animals for sport and held discussions about poaching, environmental ethics and the ivory trade.

As the students in the environmental sciences class learned about “Mlima’s Tale” and how local theater companies operate in the Twin Cities, they began to engage with Erickson and Knox more energetically throughout the class period.

At the end of the activity, Erickson said one student approached him to express their opinion on the “Mlima’s Tale” characters, saying they were too shy to speak aloud during the activity. Erickson said he found this moment particularly touching.

“I thought that it was cool that whatever we were doing could bring this student to say something to me that they normally wouldn’t,” he said.

The Seeking aRAVEments show brought energetic performances from young local musicians and DJs to Fine Line on Feb. 10.

Recent University of Minnesota graudate Paul Schoening, known professionally as DJ LeftFoot, started the concert series called “Rave Against the Machine” in 2022, including a Halloweekend show in late October. These events became the groundwork for Seeking aRAVEments.

“A few takeaways from those earlier shows were that people were looking for a place that they can feel safe and just go dancing,” Schoening said. “There was a market for local DJs because of that. Plus, I wanted to do something that also gave a platform for new DJs, like me.”

The night began with killusonline, a recent Best New Bands honoree, who performed with a full band and blended rap vocals with hardcore rock.

RiotgrrlDarko set mixed alternative production and rap vocals for an energy-filled sound that rocked the crowd.

6RIPS performed music that blended laid-back rap vocals with hip-hop production that culminated in infectious hooks and clever raps.

DJ Gilchrist, the DJ alias for Gustav Kuhnen, played a set featuring trance, house and techno influences, flowing with futuristic tunes.

DJ Overly Sympathetic, a mainstay at the Rave Against the Machine event series, describes their sound as “nightcore.”

Schoening’s set as DJ LeftFoot combined disco, house and hip-hop while a homoerotic video loop of attractive male characters (including Pauly D and Vinny from “Jersey Shore”) played behind him.

Ech0astral, who blended electronic subgenres with hip-hop influences, is the alias for Carbon Sound’s content director and University graduate Julian Green.

Fluidtranquilty, the DJ alias of Kaya Morris, finished the night with a Berlin-inspired techno mix.

Schoening grew his connections within the local music scene by working on Radio K’s hip-hop show The Vanguard, where he met rappers like 6RIPS and RiotgrrlDarko.

“Those personal connections I made at The Vanguard with 6RIPS and RiotgrrrlDarko brought them into the fold for the show,” Schoening said.

6RIPS said he relishes every opportunity he has received thus far to fine-tune his craft.

“It would be easier to give up, kinda the same with performing, trying to figure out how to keep getting better at it, thinking of ways to be more entertaining and engaging, just refining me keeps me going,” 6RIPS said.

LAS CABRONAS stood out as another act that put on an epic performance during the Seeking aRAVEments show. The duo, consisting of DJ Supersooaker (Jolie Leiva) and DJ Curbstomp (Angel Perez), is relatively new to the Twin Cities music scene.

LAS CABRONAS introduced themselves to Schoening after a show and asked him to teach them how to DJ.

“My music career only started in October (once again, all credit to Paul [Schoening]), but I feel like the music scene finally feels like it has variety and is being opened up to more artists and different kinds of artists,” DJ Curbstomp said in a text to the Minnesota Daily. “I think this is what’s so special about what Paul is doing because he’s not only including artists that have already a lot of experience, but also artists that are just starting off and exploring their abilities.”

Schoening said LAS CABRONAS are “the most inspiring musicians I know of right now.”

“I don’t even know many DJ duos anymore, it feels like a lost art,” he said. “I had known Angel for a while, and they were so supportive of my shows, so I asked them if they wanted to try DJing. I was really proud of them and so happy that they could have a full audience at Seeking aRAVEments.”

At least two Seeking aRAVEments artists have planned upcoming shows. Ech0astral will open for Rochester, New York, rapper RXK Nephew Saturday at 7th St. Entry. Riotgrrrldarko will open for Minneapolis punk band VIAL on May 25, also at 7th St. Entry.

Correction: A previous version of this article misstated DJ Overly Sympathetic’s pronouns. They use they/she pronouns.  

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of their first EP, “It Hurts,” Minneapolis-based band Bad Bad Hats played two sold-out shows at 7th Street Entry on Saturday.

The concert embodied the band’s talent for exciting live performances and showcased the Bad Bad Hats’ songwriting skills.

Bad Bad Hats released “It Hurts” in 2013, three years after meeting at Macalester College. The band features Kerry Alexander (guitar and lead vocals), Chris Hoge (bass and guitar) and Connor Davison (drums), though Davison will soon part ways to pursue other musical endeavors.

Bad Bad Hats released their latest album in 2021, titled “Walkman,” and the band will be releasing their fourth album later this year.

The band makes high-energy alternative music that features a traditional rock sound while still incorporating modern production. Lead vocalist Kerry Alexander combines her voice with sweeping pop melodies, and the band backs her with strong rock rhythms.

In 2021, Bad Bad Hats started a Patreon, a content creation platform where they uploaded new songs every month with a different theme. This process of expanding their style of music rewarded the band with new creative processes, according to Alexander.

“For example, one month we did a pop-punk song and another one we did a song with a key change,” Alexander said. “It really pushed us to do something we normally wouldn’t. I think bands get in a trap, where we will be writing a song and we’ll say ‘oh this sounds too pop punk,’ but in some ways, why do we have to cut ourselves off from that?”

In the years since the release of “It Hurts,” the band toured with Hippo Campus, released three full-length albums and found success within the Minneapolis music scene.

“The first time we sold out a show was for the ‘Psychic Reader’ album release party at the Icehouse, and that would’ve been about 2015,” Alexander said.

Alexander started the writing process of “It Hurts” while studying abroad in Europe. She said she found the isolation of living alone in a foreign country helped her develop her songwriting in new ways.

“Most of [the songs] were written in a six-month period while I was studying abroad in Paris in 2011,” she said. “It was actually the first time I had been completely alone in my living situation. It was scary because of that feeling of silence and solitude. I began to enjoy it though, and it became my routine to write music in my free time.”

During the concert, Alexander expressed her gratitude for the Minneapolis music scene’s support over the past decade. The band played their hits, as well as all of the tracks off “It Hurts.”

Bad Bad Hats showcased the intimacy that Alexander described in her creative process throughout the concert on Saturday. On tracks like “Super America,” the band told stories about the former gas station chain before breaking into the catchy melodies of the song.

At the concert, the sold-out venue reverberated with Bad Bad Hats’ lively music and the crowd’s enthusiastic dancing. The concert ended with a kazoo-filled rendition of the titular track, “It Hurts,” with the crowd singing along to the playful melody.

Sam Robertson, a University of Minnesota alum and local artist, hopes his newest series, a collection of paintings accompanying the entire Old Testament, will encourage readers to connect American life with the King James Bible.

On Jan. 27, Robertson spoke with art historians and scholars about his work, aptly titled “Illustrated Old Testament,” at a panel hosted by downtown Minneapolis art center Open Book.

“Even though I had never read the Old Testament before, I had this deep feeling that there would be important connections in the text to my style,” Robertson said at the panel. “In particular, I trusted that the themes of Americana in many of my paintings would connect to the different stories throughout the bible.”

Robertson’s nearly 260 colorful paintings focus on action-packed scenes in the modern Western world. The illustrations contain abstract characters, but they also convey the emotional landscape of American life with familiar representations of cowboy hats, hamburgers, highways and cattle.

Some academics on the panel raised the question of whether readers would find Robertson’s work blasphemous.

In an interview with the Minnesota Daily, University history professor and Robertson’s former instructor JB Shank, one of the panelists from Jan. 27, said he did not find Robertson’s work blasphemous.

“The spirit of this work by Robertson is playful and whimsical but never engages in an angry rebuttal to the text,” Shank said.

Robertson took Shank’s history course“Age of Curiosity: Art and Knowledge in Europe, 1400–1800” during his time at the University and named it as the driving force behind their reconnection in an interview with the Minnesota Daily.

In 2020, Shank received an email from Robertson about historical examples of illustrated texts, an area of speciality for the professor.

From there, Shank and Robertson facilitated the Jan. 27 showcase and critique of Robertson’s “Illustrated Old Testament.”

Andrew Wilt of 11:11 Press, who published Robertson’s “Illustrated Old Testament,” said Robertson’s painting style inspired him to take a chance on the momentous project.

“What struck me most about Sam’s creative process is how much fun he had with it,” he said. “He was always in a state of play — sincere but never too serious — and that kept the mood positive, something that made working with him so enjoyable.”

Robertson said he hopes to go door-to-door later this year dressed as a ‘70s Bible salesman and sell his “Illustrated Old Testament” to everyday Americans. He plans to document these adventures in America’s neighborhoods and is currently working on a podcast about the process of selling his book called “Birth of a Salesman.”

Gallery|6 Photos

CJ Bonk

Obi Original performs in First Avenue’s Best New Bands of 2022 on Friday, Jan. 20.

First Avenue’s Best New Bands brought together seven up-and-coming Twin Cities acts in a show on Jan. 20 that featured eccentric stage presences and captivating songwriting by all.

The Best New Bands, an annual concert series that dates back to the 1980s, presents a group of young artists who are making waves in the local music scene.

“They have definitely become an example for young bands trying to find their sound. They don’t need to conform to the standard sounds and genres that the music industry uses to define bands, like putting them in an enclosed box,” said Sophia Kulow, Radio K’s marketing director and one of Best New Bands’ co-hosts.

Here is a full recap of the show.

Raffaella
Hailing from New York but recently relocated to Minnesota, Raffaella’s set kicked off the show with exquisite stage presence and crafty songwriting.

Raffaella’s newest release, “Live, Raff, Love (Act 1),” echoes the artistic honesty of her performance at Best New Bands. The 26-year-old singer’s music is full of catchy hooks and honest ruminations on life.

As a result of her well-produced music and ethereal vocals showcased in songs like “Blonde,” Raffaella will surely be a voice that elevates in the Twin Cities music scene.

Obi Original
Afro-fusion artist Obi Original performed his way into the hearts of the audience as the second act of Best New Bands. The stage presence and crowd work from Obi Orginal’s set excited the audience and stood out from the night’s other acts.

Obi Original’s music combines dance-heavy production with energetic vocals to culminate in a rhythmic groove that does not fit entirely into any one genre.

Obi Original danced across the stage joyfully during his entire set, cementing himself as the future of Afrobeats in Minnesota.

Mike Kota
The third act of the night, Mike Kota, showcased her elegant vocals and masterful self-production.

Kota’s sound feels dreamy and electronic, while still relying on guitar and percussion for the basis of its musicality. Kota’s vocal harmonies add to the dreamy atmosphere.

Kota said a year from now, she hopes to continue growing as an artist and working to reach a larger audience.

“I hope that this next EP brings some big fish my way — I’d love to have a powerful, well-connected team with me to take bigger strides,” Kota said.

killusonline
killusonline thundered into their set with a dark hardcore rock sound reminiscent of Rage Against the Machine. As the instrumentation pounded through the speakers during the killusonline set, their lead vocalist, Mory, rapped with a poetic cadence that demanded attention to detail of the lyricism.

When asked about the future, killusonline cited their hopes for growth within the Twin Cities and beyond.

Harlow
The next act, Harlow, makes folk-inspired music that takes listeners on a sonic ride through the Midwestern countryside.

Harlow’s music is passionately detailed and echoes songwriting similar to the alternative band The Head and the Heart.

“A year from now, Harlow would like to have a few more EPs released, a few festivals under our belt,” Samuel Ketcham of Harlow said. “Long story short, we have no intent on stopping; we love this band and each other too much.”

Creeping Charlie
Creeping Charlie consists of sisters Julia Eubanks (guitar and lead vocals) and Esme Eubanks (bass), along with Harry Miles (lead guitar) and Jack Malone (drums).

Creeping Charlie filled their set with reflective vocals and sharp guitar playing that showed off their blending musicality inspired by ‘90s grunge.

“Playing this show is so validating as a band,” Julia Eubanks said. “We’ve worked really hard and to get recognized on the First Avenue mainstage is insane. This music scene is such a special and close-knit group of artists.”

The brainchild of Julia Eubanks, Creeping Charlie plays expansive and deeply intimate tunes. With witty lyrics and Miles’ echoing guitar riffs, the crowd sang along to melodic songs like “Lean into It.”

When asked about their band name, Julia Eubanks said, “I like the idea of something that is seen as a weed in our lawns even though creeping charlie is also this resilient wildflower.”

Brotherhood of Birds
Brotherhood of Birds ended an epic night with bluegrass-influenced songs full of string-centered melodies and personal storytelling.

On songs “Wolves on the River” and “Beer Chaser,” the band echoed stories of life in the cold midwestern states, balancing bluegrass with modern songwriting technique.

Brotherhood of Birds’ closing set at First Avenue’s Best New Bands of 2022 created a soulful ending to a night filled with new and exciting local music.

“The Family” and “TM,” the newest (and supposedly final) albums by the Los Angeles-based, Texas-founded rap group, Brockhampton, cemented the band’s profound musical legacy and demonstrated their restless spirit of innovation.

Seven rappers, including Kevin Abstract, write Brockhampton’s music, but the band also considers their band manager, artistic director, creative director, videographer, photographer, graphic designer and all of their producers as members of the collective. After nine albums, Brockhampton’s adaptable and inclusive approach scored devoted fans across the globe.

Brockhampton released “The Family” and “TM” on Nov. 18 and have said these two LPs will be the group’s final work. Their final albums illustrate Brockhampton’s influence on mainstream rap by continuing the band’s mix of distinct identities and catchy tracks.

The first of two final albums from Brockhampton, “The Family,” plays as a bittersweet apology from Abstract to the rest of the band. In contrast, Brockhampton’s last album, “TM,” features performances from the seven other vocalists of the group.

“The Family” is a culmination of honesty, irony and vulnerability on the part of Abstract. After recording the album “TM” in late 2021, the band decided to part ways. To allow everyone in the band out of their contract with RCA, Abstract made “The Family” as an explanation to fans and an apology to his longtime bandmates.

In the song “All That,” Abstract admits the spotlight occasionally wrecked his own integrity. “I shoulda went to therapy instead / I started to heal, that’s what we all needed / The record deal wasn’t helpin’ either / That merch deal ain’t help either, man / It gave me more money for alcohol / I guess blowin’ up ain’t all that at all,” Abstract raps.

“All That” showcases Brockhampton’s appeal. Abstract’s lyricism across all nine of the band’s albums normalized queerness and brought forth honest ruminations on mental health, relatively rare topics for chart-topping rap acts.

The beats on “The Family” are some of the best from Brockhampton’s career. Ciarán McDonald can take credit for a lot of the excellent production. McDonald usually sings and raps in Brockhampton, but he worked extensively on production throughout “The Family.” Tracks like “The Ending,” which boasts a soulful jazz element, flaunt McDonald’s immaculate ear. The song plays as an intimate confession of Abstract’s thoughts over what sounds like a live jazz band.

Rather than melancholy reminiscences of fame, “TM” conveys the victorious spirit of a band that has made nine albums in the past seven years.

An interesting development for Brockhampton on “TM,” is the addition of Jabari Manwa’s vocal performances. Manwa previously worked as one of Brockhampton’s producers and is the co-founder with Kevin Abstract. On their final album, “TM,” Manwa’s unique style of vocals and rapping are highlighted on the best tracks.

In the song, “DUCT TAPE,” Manwa offers a smooth autotuned verse that adds to the entire hazy atmosphere of the song. “DUCT TAPE” sounds similar in its sonic tone to the rest of the album and delivers a bittersweet mediation on the process of fame.

The track begins with Manwa opening up about his journey as an immigrant from Grenada. “2001’s the year, I remember I could never breathe / My mama left, she had no choice but to go overseas / I held the baggage with me / All the things she couldn’t keep,” Manwa raps.

One fault is the absence of narrative throughout “TM,” and especially on songs like, “GOODBYE,” which will disappoint longtime fans.

Regardless, songs on “TM” like “NEW SHOES” prove Brockhampton can still blend their disparate vocal styles into lyrically clever raps.

Brockhampton’s final two albums, “TM” and “The Family,” display even after nine albums, multiple lineup changes and group strife, the tireless creative energy behind the self-proclaimed boyband still shines.