Best New Bands of 2022 brought music lovers of various ages and likes to the Mainroom. Local
music ride-or-dies and people who were trying to break into the scene gathered to hear from a
wonderful lineup of 7 bands over the course of many hours on this chilly Friday night.

The bands were introduced by wonderful local radio hosts, which included our very own DJ and marketing director Sophia Kulow, who may be better known by our listeners as DJ Lolo. The night started with Raffaela, a New York City raised singer, who has been tearing up the Minneapolis music scene. Her stage presence and fun vocals drew fans to the stage who engaged with her high energy and were dancing along with her fun indie pop songs. She sang
about her life in the 20s and all of the twists and turns while working the stage. Her performance featured a range of her discography, but she played a few dancy hits from her 2022 EP,LIVE,RAFF,LOVE (Act I). These songs grasped the focus of the audience and cemented her lasting space in Minneapolis.

Obi Original brought smiles and bountiful energy to the stage. He was joined on the stage with some of his fellow Ozone Creations members who supported him with percussion and matched his bright energy while dancing alongside him . Obi seamlessly grooved around the stage and integrated the crowd into his performance by encouraging us to sing-along and feel the music through our bodies. His 2022 EP Melindigo features his signature sound with high influences from his roots in Nigeria. My personal highlight from this multi-instrumentalist, producer, and dancer ’s performance was seeing him sing, play the guitar, and engage the crowd all while dancing! Up next Mike Kota took the stage with her soulful vocals. This was her first performance at the Mailroom and she began with a solo stripped back performance of “Every Damn Day” from her 2021 EP Rift. The emotion and tone in her voice immediately captivated the audience. People surrounding me were taken aback and whispers of praise permeated the room. She continued to amaze with the remainder of her performance with a full band and her confidence and comfortability continued to multiply.

The crowd started to shift and people who had been patiently waiting for the hardcode section of the night started to make their way to the front. Parents and others started to sense the shift in energy and moved further to the back to make way for the moshers. killusonline stormed the stage and started to perform their discography, which is the perfect mix of rap, punk, metal, and everything in between. Their EP INSIDE OUT from this year has continued to gain them recognition and respect from many. Their sound was a switch up from the rest of the bands of the night and their set was placed at the perfect time. The crowd was ready to move and starting to get a little antsy. Throughout their set, there was continual moshing and jumping from the crowd. As killusonline finished, the crowd dispersed and recovered with water and reconnecting with their friends. Harlow was up next and allowed the crowd to decompress and sway along to their folksy sound. A sense of familiarity and relaxation took the room while they continued playing. Their music reminds me of the feelings and memories from the perfectly warm days of
Minnesota summers.

The night was starting to come to an end, but people were still quite excited to hear Creeping Charlie. They have been exponentially rising over the past few years and gained even more fans throughout the night. Their 90s indie rock sound and jam band sections of songs kept the crowd engaged and grooving along with them. As the crowd slipped into tiredness, Brotherhood of the Birds took the stage. Personally, I think it is hard to be in bad spirits when there is a banjo playing, so I was immediately revived when they took the stage. Their bluegrass sound and robust band added wonderful layers to their performance and gave the audience so many different things that they could focus on. They left the audience with warmth and gratefulness for the performances that they had experienced during this genre-fusing and great time-spanning show adventure.

These bands did not fail to captivate me and I truly do understand why they have gained the title of the best new bands of 2022. They were names that I have been waiting to see, had already loved, or had newly discovered and I am grateful for them all. This gives me hope for the continual growth of the Minneapolis sound and for the continuation of Minnesota’s impact on worldwide music and its impact on us!

writing credit to Shreya Prabhu and picture credits to Addy Adams