Spanish Love Songs, Oso Oso, Sydney Sprague, Worry Club
Varsity Theater
Minneapolis, MN
April 17, 2024
Wednesday’s show at Varsity Theater began with a band dressed like it was the 1990s, followed by a band dressed like the 2000s, another dressed like the 2010s, and the headliner came out looking like…longshoremen. I kid, but I do mean to draw in personal style a little bit to say this was a diverse of artists with a lot of overlap between them. I was mostly familiar for Spanish Love Songs, who are on a co-headlining tour with Oso Oso, playing night 11 of the cross-country tour.
Worry Club kicked it off, playing a high energy set that brought the crowd to the front right away. Painting with broad strokes, their sound is emo-pop with equal parts jangle, bounce, twinkle, and punch. It was a good way to kick things into gear early on a weeknight, followed by Sydney Sprague, a fitting sonic pairing with a very different style. Playing singer-songwriter music with a full band, Sydney Sprague let music speak for itself with a serious but powerful set. The band is less active on stage, yet engaging with a build-up type energy that balances emotional, contemplative rock with loud moments with a drama-free, down to earth vibe. Both openers set a tone with pure energy and positivity, before we switched gears to Oso Oso and “grouchcore” Spanish Love Songs.
I’ve given Oso Oso a few listens over the years and generally liked what I’d heard without diving in deep. Their style of dramatic rock meets emo is something I enjoy a lot more in a live setting than on record. That was my expectation, and that’s what happened with their hour-long set. Right from the start, the musicianship was tight and the vocals were on point. It’s the kind of music that draws you in, building up like post-rock but far more rhythmic. In some ways, I’d say the guitarist almost stole the show with some pure rock star strutting that somehow fit the vibe even though, on paper, it sounds counter to Oso Oso’s more somber take. Maybe that’s the metaphor here: the cathartic effect of live music, for musician and audience. Oso Oso is super emotional, yet with peppy, pogo-friendly tunes. The stage contrast between band members was a bit unique, with high activity on the left, dwindling toward the right, where songwriter Jade Lilitri stood mostly still for more of the set, concentrating on the more serious side of the spectrum. Early on, the rest of the band left the stage, giving Lilitri a full solo moment as well.
Spanish Love Songs led with “Lifers” and even broke out a sax for “Clean Up Crew” for the first time on the tour (which, of course, happened right after I left the photo pit). The room wasn’t full, but the band acted like it, with a lot of banter, a good chunk of songs from last year’s No Joy, and even mixing in a few older songs from the Schmaltz era. While it can feel trite when a band talks about how they owe their fans, it felt authentic when Dylan Slocum addressed the subject, probably in part because of the band’s personalized lyrical style. There is simply an intimacy at a show like this that’s hard to explain, since most of the lyrics bring stage and crowd together.
I had caught part of the band’s set at a Fest years ago, but had never seen the full thing (this was their first headlining set in Minneapolis, they noted – I honestly kind of bummed to hear I missed a show where they played with Iron Chic like 7 years ago). Anyway, Slocum has a distinct stage presence, watching him balance vocals and guitar, and his mannerisms somewhat reminded me of Craig Finn: simple but in tune with the music. It was equally fun to watch Meredith Van Woert as she’d mostly play synth, but for select songs grab a guitar – and, on occasion, handle both instruments at once. The older songs seemed to hit the crowd hardest, drawing a modest pit and a lot of hands in the air throughout as people sang along and emphasized select lyrics. “Brave Faces, Everyone” closed it out in a crescendo-like rocker moment where, as a fitting metaphor, Slocum’s hat finally came off, a weird but fitting symbol of losing himself in the moment.
Overall, the four-band lineup told a nice narrative that balanced introspective emo-minded, punk-tinged rock. The openers and closers had the most active, talkative sets with some somber all-about-the-music moments in the middle.
