SYNTHETICA TOUR FT. PERFECTLY STILL, WEEKEND PICNIC, ROGUE ROYAL & THE TOLERABLES
@ AMSTERDAM BAR AND HALL, SAINT PAUL (MN)
AUGUST 13, 2024
Perfectly Still, based out of Fargo, North Dakota, began their Synthetica Tour in Saint Paul Minnesota on Tuesday evening. The show featured local bands The Tolerables, Rogue Royal, and Weekend Picnic.
The Tolerables are a Minneapolis, Minnesota based pop punk family. Vocalist Christine and vocalist/ guitarist Luke Pehoski are husband and wife. Their son, Travis, plays lead guitar accompanied by his uncles (Luke’s brothers) Tyler and Jordan on bass and drums
Right from the get-go the Tolerables grabbed the small crowd’s attention by starting their set with Britney Spear’s “Baby One More Time” complete with a few friends of the band dancing in unison with Christine. Backstreet Boys “Bye Bye Bye” soon followed. That was enough to pique everyone’s interest in the room. They don’t take themselves too seriously (as their self-deprecating name would imply) and it was evident that everyone on stage was having a good time. The energy was infectious, often dancing in unison. Everyone on the stage was moving, even Jordan the drummer would stand up on occasion. Luke would offer humorous commentary in between songs as they flawlessly kept the momentum going throughout their half hour set.
Although established back in 2009, it wasn’t until this year that they released an EP titled We’re OK. Their setlist included numerous songs from it, including “Fly” and “Stupid Metaphors.” They even threw in a great cover of Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ On A Prayer.” Travis and Tyler left the stage at one point, went into the crowd with their guitars, and started jogging in a large circle while they played. It enticed the audience to join in.
Rogue Royal brought an energy of their own. Their entire set was an excellent display of the members’ talents. Full of guitar driven powerful songs, I could hear Lynyrd Skynyrd and Mammoth WVH influences while other songs were just straight hard rock. Vocalist Clay Deters helped navigate the setlist that highlighted numerous songs from their latest album Different Dimension by giving a brief introduction to each song. Thre set included “Novocaine”, “Chains,” and “Whiskey Lemonade.” Guitarist Monty Philipp switched between a variety of great looking guitars, that no doubt helps create Rogue Royal’s versatile sound. Combine that with Deters vocal range and you’ve got a recipe for great music. Drummer Collin Gibbs was still recovering from a shoulder injury, so Collin Johnson filled the role and did a great job. Their long hair flowed freely as they headbanged during the set.
Perfectly Still gave an energized performance, complete with fog machines and lights to create an intense, exciting atmosphere. They began with their latest single “Synthetic”. Guitarist Ryan Aarhus and bassist Jake Stout were busy crisscrossing the stage while somewhat shrouded in the shadows of the harsh light and heavy fog. Their setlist had a good mix of songs from their EP Departure such as “Save Me”, “Fading” and “Never Coming Back,” plus some of their most popular songs from their Chronicles album “House of Rust,” “Dark Before Dawn,” and “Up in Flames” which they have a music video in the works for.
Aarhus and Stout decided to stir up the crowd and moved to the floor where they got the people moving in a rowdy, swirling circle around them. Drummer Riley Scheer even got a brief solo as they tuned their guitars for the last part of their set. The band’s infectious energy had the audience engaged right up until the end. Fans have plenty to look forward to from this talented band.
Hard Rockers Weekend Picnic finished up the evening with a great set showcasing some of their best music. They have the ability to mix a variety of genres together that mesh well into a pleasing, appealing sound. They can go heavy with the help of Lead Guitarist Patrick Bangasser’s screaming backup vocals but then incorporate slower, emotional songs. Fans were jumping up and down for “Great Escape,” but then slowly waving their arms back and forth for “Suffer The Silence” (the band’s first single). They even threw in a cover of “Crawling In The Dark” by Hoobastank and “Ocean Avenue” by Yellowcard. Fans were in full force singing along with every song. An unfortunate mishap late in the set with the band’s laptop playing the bass back tracks delayed the performance some but the audience and band took it in stride. Singer Ehren Thomas told some “dad jokes” while they worked on the problem, then promptly resumed their performance. With catchy riffs and meaningful lyrics, their performance flowed really well. Locals will have to wait patiently for the next live performance of theirs. This was their last live performance of the year before heading back to the studio to work on new music.
(Photography by Trista Whitman)
Perfectly Still Photos
Weekend Picnic Photos
Rogue Royal Photos
The Tolerables Photos
Perfectly Still Links
Weekend Picnic Links
Rogue Royal Links
The Tolerables Links
