The Road to Northern Invasion-Battle of the Bands at Mill City Nights

A few weeks ago, I saw several social media posts advertising five finalists for a spot opening at this year's Northern Invasion rock concert festival in Somerset, WI. It was hard for me to choose, as I have friends in all of the nominated bands. One band (Sin City Escape) decided not to participate in the popularity concert, and their reasoning made good sense. I still decided to go to the "battle of the bands" show last night to support my friends.

I got to the venue just in time to meet some of my concert friends. With several shows, a Twins game at nearby Target Field and the usual Friday night shenanigans in downtown Minneapolis, I knew it was going to be busy. I got in the doors in time to buy a ticket and chat with some friends for a while before the first band, Ashes from Stone, started the concert. They played several fan favorites like "Illusion" and "Mine Oh Mine" along with a few new songs that have yet to be released on CD.

The next band, Vaudeville, was one that I hadn't heard for a while. Their bass guitar and keyboard-fueled songs kept the growing crowd enthralled. Their unique rendition of the rock classic "House of the Rising Sun" had everyone on their feet! They had the biggest crowd of all of last night's acts, so based on popularity, it's no surprise to me that they won the contest.

The third act was my friends in the spacey rock group Antistar. I was familiar with their songs having seen them most recently at their CD release show at the Park in Fridley, MN a few weeks ago, and they never disappoint. Creative songs and a captivating stage presence keep the audiences coming back to their shows.

The final band, Via, was another band I hadn't seen for a few months. They put on a great set, although I couldn't stay for the entire performance. The rigors of another busy workweek had me growing tired earlier than expected.

I still have some reservations myself about the "popularity contest" theme, but it was good connecting with a couple dozen friends last night, some I hadn't seen in months. No more shows for me in April, but May looks to be a very busy and entertaining month-stay tuned!