Jeris Johnson – Fine Line – Minneapolis MN – March 7th, 2026

Jeris Johnson with Butcher Babies, Eva Under Fire, and LYLVC – Fine Line Minneapolis – March 7^th, 2026

Review and photos by Kate Klaus

Jeris Johnson’s “In the USA” tour brought a power packed lineup of industrial rock, alternative metal, and hard-rock energy to the Fine Line Music Café in Minneapolis, including Butcher Babies, Eva Under Fire, and LYLVC.

Opening the night was LYLVC, and they wasted absolutely no time firing the crowd up. Their sound sits somewhere between modern nu-metal and electronic-driven alternative rock, mixing rap-influenced vocal delivery with heavy guitars and pulsing synth textures. The dual-vocal dynamic between Alyse Zavala and Oscar Romero works especially well live, with Zavala bringing an aggressive melodic edge while Romero snaps between sharp rap cadences and shouted hooks, with a great stage presence and connection between the two.  On stage the band feels chaotic in the best way possible. The bass drops hit hard, the guitars stay jagged and rhythmic, and Lee Hutt brings a dynamic and thunderous power on drums. Instead of easing the audience into the night, LYLVC practically shoved the crowd straight into the action, delivering a set that felt intense and kinetic from the very first song. By the end of their all too short opening set, the room was already fully engaged and ready for the rest of the lineup.

Eva Under Fire shifted the tone slightly while keeping the momentum high. The Detroit-based band leans more toward modern hard rock with big choruses and a polished but still gritty sound. Their songs translate well live because they’re built around strong vocal melodies and anthemic hooks that the crowd can latch onto quickly. Lead vocalist Eva Marie (Amanda Lyberg) commands the stage with a confident presence, delivering powerful clean vocals that cut cleanly through the band’s heavy instrumentation. Songs like “Coming For Blood,” “Villainous,” and newer material like “Murder Scene” showed the band’s balance between radio-friendly rock and heavier alternative influences.  What stood out most during their set was how tight the band sounded together. Rather than relying on spectacle, they focused on connecting with the crowd, locking into the room and letting the songs do the work. And that connection was highlighted at the end of the show when they brought a young fan up on stage for the last song for a fun end to their set that showcased their amazing and dedicated fan base.

By the time Butcher Babies took the stage, the night fully shifted into high gear. Known for their aggressive blend of groove metal, thrash, and alternative metal, the Los Angeles band has spent years building a reputation as a relentless live act. Frontwoman Heidi Shepherd completely owned the stage from the first moment, stalking the crowd and pulling the audience directly into the chaos of the performance. The band’s energy felt massive even in a smaller room, creating an almost overwhelming wall of sound. Songs like “Backstreets of Tennessee,” “Red Thunder,” and “Spittin’ Teeth” kept the crowd moving, while moments like the performance of “Sincerity” showed Shepherd’s ability to shift between ferocious screams and strong clean vocals. What makes Butcher Babies so effective live is the balance between chaos and precision. The performance looks wild, but the band plays with tight control, making every breakdown and vocal punch land exactly where it should. By the time their set wrapped up, the room had reached an unmistakable peak of energy and excitement.

By the time Jeris Johnson finally took the stage, the tone of the evening shifted noticeably. After a lineup dominated by powerful female-fronted bands delivering raw, confident performances, Johnson’s set felt like a stylistic pivot that didn’t quite align with the momentum built earlier in the night. His music leans into a blend of internet-age rock theatrics and tongue-in-cheek metal revivalism, which gave the performance a more performative feel compared to the straightforward intensity of the bands before him. At times it was hard to tell exactly where the line between sincerity and satire sat. The sound itself often leaned into a sort of tongue-in-cheek “divorced dad rock” aesthetic, with big arena-style riffs and exaggerated bravado, but the delivery occasionally felt like it was almost poking fun at the very style it was channeling. That ambiguity created a strange dynamic in the room. Some moments landed with genuine energy, while others felt more like a parody of rock-star swagger than the real thing. Overall, the night was carried by a lineup of strong performances, particularly from the powerful female-fronted bands that set the tone early. While Jeris Johnson’s set took the evening in a different stylistic direction, the variety made for a show that was at the very least memorable and sparked plenty of conversation on the way out the door.