JESS BECK | Go Venue Magazine
Whenever there’s a show on April 20th, you know it’s going to be a good night. When that show happens to be on April 20, 2024, on Saturday night at the Fine Line in Minneapolis with your dad in attendance, it’s going to be more lit than a bonfire on the beach – Picture this: classic pop-punk vibes, alt-pop energy, and Philadelphia pop-punk power all in one epic evening. It was a musical rollercoaster that left us all wanting more.
Kicking things off was The Romance, a one-man show by Cody Hoffman.
Okay, okay, it was a two-man show thanks to the live drummer for this tour, but nevertheless. The Romance brought back those classic pop-punk vibes with his opening track, “Fu2urface,” setting the stage for a night of pure EFF YOU attitude reminiscent of the time Tom Delonge met your mom.
Anyway, I’m stoked to see where The Romance goes in the future. Talking to Cody after the show, it doesn’t seem like he’s stopping any time soon. Alfred, get this man some band members!
Next up, Moody Joody took the stage with Kaitie Forbes and Kayla Hall leading the charge. These fearless alt-pop queens don’t GAF about what you think; they’re here to have a blast, and if you join in, that’s an added bonus.
Moody Joody has a mysterious, almost aloof aura, and damn, it WORKS for them. Backed by some seriously talented dudes, their high-energy set proved they’re a force to be reckoned with.
Representing Philadelphia with pride, Grayscale hit the stage next with their pop-punk prowess. Collin Walsh’s vocals were equally haunting and powerful, especially during the certified banger, “In Violet.” This is my 3rd time covering Grayscale too, first in Omaha, second in Phoenix, and now here in Minneapolis.
Just a few songs later, Grayscale is serenading us with the love ballad “Forever Yours.” I didn’t see as many lighters out as I expected, but I might have just been distracted by the chorus.
I could go on and on about this band, but I’ll leave it at this. If you haven’t seen Grayscale live, what are you even doing?
The cool thing about Grayscale is that my dad knows that I’m a big fan. So he goes and grabs a set list off-stage after they were done and tracks the band down to get it autographed. So now I’ve got a fully signed set list and a 3/4 album (one of the fellas went to sleep and honestly, I don’t blame ’em one bit). Thanks dad!
Last, but certainly not least, Smallpools brought their infectious indie pop-rock sound all the way from Los Angeles. They had the crowd moving from the get-go with their catchy, dancey anthems.
About halfway through their show, the inflatable Smallpools orca made a surprise appearance during “Killer Whales.” It was a huge hit with the audience (and myself, but mostly because I got hit in the face). It was immediately followed by “A Million Bucks“, we certainly did feel like it! If you want to dance your heart out, Smallpools is the band to see. They rounded out the night with vocalist Sean Scanlon tossing a tambourine to an audience member saying, “If you don’t throw it back, it’s ok, you’ll just ruin the whole night,” which was met with roars of laughter.
Colton – if you’re reading this, you saved the night!
Also want to send a huge thank you to the staff at the Fine Line. Every show I go to here is fantastic, and I know y’all work hard to make sure the experience is as enjoyable as possible. So with that, keep wearing deodorant to shows, keep being excellent to one another, and we’ll see ya at the next show!
Smallpools
Grayscale
Moody Joody
The Romance
All images © Jess Beck
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