A House Show Review (yes they are still here)

The Eithne Skye, Aphid, and Syncline EP release show and MIRAC fundraiser in a random house in a random basement. 

Britta Pietila

On January 31 I attended a house show in a random basement in a random house. As a regular attendant of these kinds of things, I already knew I would be leaving with a smile on my face and 12 new followers on Instagram, but this time it was different. This time I was going because I knew someone in one of the bands.

Eithne Skye, singer-songwriter with stabbing lyricism and curly-q blond hair; Aphid, a grungy four-pack of local garage-dwellers and night-crawlers; and the groovy indie-rock platter, Syncline, were on the ticket.

I entered the unmarked side door of a comfy Marcy-Holmes home with irritatingly good bones that made envy rattle in my own bones. Dropping my $5 cover fee into the tattered cardboard box marked “for donation,” I spot QR codes that frame the box, taped loosely on the fold-out table propped in the snow. They direct you to the website of an organization who is supporting community members who fear to leave their homes due to the federal occupation of Minneapolis by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The show was not just about celebrating Syncline’s self-titled EP release, it was also about aiding the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC). MIRAC is a locally based grassroots volunteer organization that fights for immigrant rights by demanding and working toward the end of all anti-immigrant legislation while also responding to ICE raids and deportations.

Shows and events like this are becoming more and more common in Minneapolis neighborhoods. It combines a good time with a good cause. We are raising each other's spirits while raising funds. We are both celebrating and supporting our community.

Walking down the stairs, I trotted past a stray sock and then promptly spotted my friend, a guitarist for Aphid. I hugged him, wished him well, and then shifted my focus to the first artist: Eithne Skye.

Singing with a sort of pain that I haven’t heard in a while, I compare them to the New York indie-rock powerhouse, Trophy Wife, that serves up regret on a gold platter. Coincidentally, Skye brandishes the very same bottle-blonde mane as one of Trophy Wife’s guitarists and lead vocalist, McKenzie Iazzetta.

Eithne Skye captivated my senses, sharing wonderfully vulnerable original songs paired with a tauntingly raw cover of “Watermelon” by John + Jane Q. After I spent most of my time pestering the crowd with desperate hushes and stone-cold glares so I could hear them better, their set ended. Despite how brief it was, their pure-yet-witchy talent sparked a series of memories to enter my head. Memories I collected over the summer, reminding me of love lost and time wasted. A tear or two fell. Enter Aphid.

Knowing most of the members of Aphid semi-personally, I was vetted beforehand, but I expected nothing less than what they gave. Immediately, noise filled the room and heads began bobbing. Playing a set full of original songs, you can’t help but notice the similarities between Aphid and some of the major pictures in the blockbuster of fuzz-filled rock bands in the late 90s and early 2000s. Think Hum, Dinosaur Jr., and Title Fight, but with more secluded, warm guitar and thoughtful intros. Within minutes, I was happily plastered against the cinderblocks of the unfinished basement walls as people began shoving and bouncing around.

After a quick intermission of smoke and quick congratulations, it was time to help Syncline celebrate their self-titled EP consisting of seven original songs.

I will be honest, I did end up missing the latter half of Syncline’s set due to circumstances out of my control, but I could hear the muted sounds of their energetic set as it rattled through the floor. Covering “Pool House” by The Backseat Lovers, you can’t help but feel like you know their songs even though you’ve never heard them before.

Filling the holes of melancholy that the previous sets dug with emotional yet optimistic lyrics of love and longing, the energy they created in that basement was addicting as it seeped through the walls as I peeled away. I regret not being present for their whole set.

The space these bands created left me with a nihilistic head overflowing with optimism—a rare occasion. The whole affair reminded me that when your heart is in the right place, things will change.

To donate to MIRAC and other organizations in need right now, check out standwithminnesota.com.