Badflower – Varsity Theater – Minneapolis MN – September 20th 2024

Badflower – Varsity Theater – Minneapolis MN – September 20th 2024

Presented by Live Nation

Review by Catherine Zons and photos by Jim Zons

It was just after seven p.m. on September 20, 2024, and I was jogging up the street to get to the Fillmore in Minneapolis as fast as I could. Unforeseen traffic had me running late (literally) and I’d been so anxiously watching the minutes tick by on my phone that I didn’t even notice the beaming neon FILLMORE sign and the beckoning searchlights until I was almost upon them. After a short stint in the waiting line and passing painlessly through security, I was finally inside–where Divide the Fall, a loud and local rock band, was already tearing down the house from the stage. Hailing from Minneapolis, Divide the Fall made their pride for the city known, and their love of metalcore and hard rock was on full display during their highly energetic (and all too brief!) set.

Divide the Fall was followed by MISSIO, a genre-bending electric alternative group whose two full-time members come from Austin, Texas. They played some apparent fan favorites like “Middle Fingers” and “Everybody Gets High” to a lively crowd, and I found myself dancing along to everything, despite only recognizing a few tracks. MISSIO’s dubstep beats and gritty vocals were complemented well by some deft pyrotechnic work, and the overall show left the crowd charged and excited for the final act

Badflower made a long-awaited and explosive entrance to “Teacher Has a Gun,” a sharp, agitated new single discussing the politics of paranoia in America. Far from the only socially conscious song on the set list, the four-part band from Los Angeles also played “Let the Band Play,” a subtle track discussing domestic violence; “Family,” a painful dive into the degradation of familial relationships; and “Machine Gun,” a raw and emotionally charged criticism of American patriotism. Lead singer Josh Katz was a blizzard of energy on every track, screaming lyrics and delivering smoldering glares into the audience hanging onto–and singing back to him–his every word. Katz, along with lead guitarist Joey Morrow, bassist Alex Espiritu, and drummer Anthony Sonetti, showcased their tight, in-sync sound and incredible on-stage chemistry over their roughly 90-minute set.

However, the most exciting song of the night had to be “Stalker,” a volatile track parodying the toxicity of the internet. To a vitalizing drum solo by Sonetti halfway through the song, the band jumped off the stage and cleared a circle in the center of the audience (right in front of me!). Katz stood on a chair in the middle to direct the crowd in the circle to start running, where, during the climax of the song, they broke the Fillmore’s ‘no moshing’ rule with what Katz would later remark was the “most polite circle pit” he’d ever seen. I watched from the sidelines of the circle as Morrow held his guitar above the heads of moshers to play Stalker’s iconic riff. As Badflower left the pit to return to the stage, they passed right by me again–and Joey Morrow literally brushed past my shoulder as he went by! That was as close to the action as I got (and wanted to be), and the excitement of the pit was a shining highlight of the night.

Badflower ended their set with “Girlfriend,” a raunchy, violent rock track that left the audience–much like the song’s protagonist–frenzied, frenetic, and still fiending for more, even as the house lights came on. I walked away from the show with an unshakeable smile, several awesome videos of the band from the edge of the mosh pit, and a signed, tour-exclusive vinyl to commemorate an entirely unforgettable and fantastic concert experience. And yes–I’m already counting down the days until Badflower tours Minneapolis again!