Stuck
The night began with an eccentric performance from the Chicago post-punk band “Stuck.” Giving no introduction, they got up on stage and jumped right into their set, instantly engaging the crowd. Stuck was the perfect opener for Yard Act with loud, heavy guitars, explosive drums, and wild, intense vocals from lead singer Greg Obis. They played 3 songs straight before Obis finally took a second to speak to the audience. He kept it brief by simply introducing the band and then saying, “Rock and roll music,” as the band jumped right into their next track.

Yard Act
Traveling all the way from Leeds in West Yorkshire, England, British rock band “Yard Act” took the stage at the Fine Line and immediately electrified the crowd with their satire-heavy track, “Rich” off their 2022 album “The Overload.” The eleven-track LP is riddled with themes of anti-capitalism and disdain for British politics while also, at times, discussing the challenges and existential questions that all humans are faced with. Frontman James Smith laid down crisp vocals and danced hysterically around the stage while bassist Ryan Needleman, guitarist Sam Shipstone, and drummer Jay Russel all went to town on their respective instruments to create Yard Act’s explosive post-punk, indie rock sound that had the majority of the crowd head banging.

A few songs into Yard Act’s performance, Smith explained to the crowd that he was enjoying his time in Minneapolis and that it was his type of city. He didn’t hesitate to include, however, that he would never live in America. He went on to explain how England is “bloody brilliant” before introducing the next song that he wrote about his country “Land of The Blind.” Halfway through the track the band quieted down and Smith told the crowd to pass money up to the stage and that it was for a magic trick. After a minute or so he had a fistful of fifty-three dollars cash. He then said, “Watch this, ready? It’s a good trick,” and proceeded to shove the cash into his coat pocket which cued the band to begin playing again as laughter and cheers erupted from the crowd.

Towards the end of the show, the mood became more heart-felt as Smith began a speech about why the band does what they do and how appreciative they are for the crowd and the human spirit. Smith finished by raising his drink to the audience as the band began playing one of their hits “100% Endurance,” a song that tells how life can sometimes seem pointless but really it’s a beautiful thing.

Yard Act’s “last song” was followed by a minute straight of encouraging cheers from the crowd, which finally brought the band back out on stage for an encore. They then shocked the crowd with an awesome, booming, heavy-rocking cover of Motörhead’s “Ace of Spades.” Overall, Yard Act put on an incredible show. It was a performance that was theatrical and light-hearted yet powerful and moving while also sounding amazing the whole way through.

Review by Canton Francisco

Photos by Tove Moen