![]() Only a hopeless superfan (ahem) would notice the occasional misplaced verse or transposed lyric. They’re one of the most polished and precise acts I’ve ever seen, so the little hiccups throughout the show were a reminder that they were a little rusty, that their polish comes in part from their usually heavy touring schedule.īut truth be told, they were still more buttoned-up than most bands are at their best. They opened with two of their oldest songs (early versions of which appear on their first, largely unavailable self-released album), “Adios Maria” and “Stoplight Kisses.” They almost immediately stumbled over lyrics in the second song, which made me laugh. I’d been excited about that because I hadn’t seen them perform that way since late 2016 or early 2017. They played the first two songs as a duo, which made me remember that several of their shows I was meant to see in April 2020 were going to be duo performances. They’re one of the acts that pretty much laid low during the entire pandemic, so their excitement at being in front of an audience again was palpable. And I could see their broad smiles as they stepped onto the stage. I didn’t have my glasses, so everything was a bit blurry, but I’d recognize Jack Torrey and Page Burkum from a mile away, I’ve watched so many of their performances. My heart started racing and my eyes welled with tears. My brain had been so skeptical that anything this good could actually come to pass that I didn’t feel much excitement leading up to the show, but as soon as I was within the hallowed space of First Avenue, I felt overwhelmed. The band members who weren’t singing were also masked. The servers wore masks as well as face shields. ![]() The patrons wore masks assiduously (well, most of them you know who you are, couple who took yours off as soon as you sat down!). The air was cold and clearly being cycled from outside I could even smell cigarette smoke at one point, which hadn’t happened in a club for many a year! The tables were spaced far apart. But I’ll try to use words like a regular human person and describe my experience.Īlthough the strict safety protocols at the club added to the strangeness of this experience, they put me at ease about being indoors for two hours with a hundred or so strangers. The passion for Americana it ignited within me that eventually culminated in creating this site with Jaclyn.Īdd to that all the things that made this show so remarkable and poignant-this was my first show of theirs in over a year and the first time I’d been inside First Avenue since 2019-and I’m even more overwhelmed. The appreciation it gave me for live music and discovering new artists. ![]() The inspiration it gave me to finally learn guitar and even start writing some songs myself. The adventures it took me on-from Omaha to Toronto and many places in between. The good friends it brought into my life from across the Americas. The comfort it gave me during the worst times in recent American (and world) history. They may never know how transformative their music has been to my life. ![]() It really is difficult to encapsulate everything I feel when I see a Cactus Blossoms show. So we both wanted to share our impressions of the concert. We hadn’t seen a show together since March 9, 2020, so it was an especially special night-even if it hadn’t been Carol’s favorite band playing, even if it wasn’t at the iconic First Avenue nightclub. On March 27, 2021, we attended this very limited-seating show (which was also livestreamed).
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