Thesaurus Rex – Zhora Darling – Minneapolis, MN – September 16, 2026

Thesaurus Rex (with Secret Menu and Marie’s Island) at Zhora Darling in Minneapolis, MN – September 16, 2026

Review and Photos by Catherine Zons

I don’t often go to concerts entirely for fun–usually I’m taking notes and photos for the review I write after the performance–but I was excited enough to see Thesaurus Rex that I bought myself a ticket and planned to have a “normal” concert-going experience for once. I showed up to Zhora Darling on Wednesday with none of my usual camera gear or notetaking materials… and then I had such a great time that I’m writing a review anyway! 

The night started with Marie’s Island, an alt pop/indie band from Minneapolis, whose set that night was actually the first live performance the band had ever done! The band is made up of Kate Stiglicz (vocals and strings), Jonah Broberg (guitar, vocals), and Kyle Petersen (instruments and production). The group’s sound is atmospheric and nostalgic, pairing soft acoustic instrumentation with bittersweet vocals that left the crowd swaying comfortably to each track. Marie’s Island put on a fantastic first set, and it will be exciting to see what they do next!

Secret Menu took the stage next and basically ran away with it. The Wisconsin-based alternative rock band gave the crowd so much to see and listen to: each track was an energetic blend of electric guitar licks, synth harmonies, and inventive vocal melodies, all backed by a driving drum beat. The band is composed of Josh “Raf” Raphael (vocals, bass guitar), Andrew Montoya (vocals, lead guitar), Matt Herro (keys, vocals, guitar), and Evan Yoakum (drums, vocals). I immediately fell in love with their sound, and I barely made it home before adding their songs “Caroline” and “Bullet to Bite” into my music rotation. I can’t wait for the next Secret Menu show I attend–I’ll be singing along to what has already become a new favorite band of mine!

After a brief intermission, Thesaurus Rex began their set in a way I’ve never seen done before. Lead singer Calvin Rezen wandered on stage dressed business casually, swinging around an important-looking briefcase as the rest of the band set up instruments and tuned. As the crowd began to pay attention, he nonchalantly opened the case to reveal maybe 20 rubber chickens. One lucky bird was pulled from the ranks and held up to the microphone, where a few squeeze-and-screams from the chicken signalled the show’s very serious beginning.

Thesaurus Rex is a Brooklyn-based indie rock band known for their sharp lyricism and eclectic instrumentation, whose conceptual themes span albums and whose progressive political messaging is wrapped around every verse. Joining Rezen on stage were Varun Jhunjhunwalla (lead guitar, vocals), Jordan Kerr (bass, vocals), and Dan MacDonald (drums, vocals). Thesaurus Rex played stuff from across their rapidly growing discography, from new single “Buy Your Time” to old singles like “Wristwatch” and “Scam Song.” Infused into and between every song were an endless supply of bits–from allusions to “Careless Whisper” during “The Way You Look At Me” and spoilers for the TV show Dallas before “Dumpster Fire.” I’ve probably never laughed as hard during a musical performance as I did during this set. Likewise, I’ve probably never heard a crowd cheer so loudly as they did for TREX’s cover of Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop,” an homage to the rapper in the wake of his recent expulsion from his tour run over his unwavering pro-Palestinian advocacy.

There were also some tracks from Thesaurus Rex’s first full-length album, an LP amusingly titled Greatest Hits. (2025). We heard “Fad” and “I Won’t Hold My Breath,” as well as the track Rezen remarked was ironically underplayed for this tour run: “The Thesaurus Rex Theme Song.” The set officially ended with the morbidly beautiful “Ballad of a Horse Girl” despite a raucous audience request for more music. Unfortunately, strict venue cutoff times are not receptive to bargaining!

However, the evening was far from over, even as the audience began to file out and the band went to the back of the venue to work their merch booth. I ended up in line for a shirt, talking to the person next to me about how unfortunate it was that the band hadn’t played “Peaches”–a track we both agreed was one of their best. When I reached the front of the line, I echoed this to the band themselves and received the most exciting response I could have imagined. Rezen nodded as he signed something and casually said he’d be willing to play an acoustic rendition of the song after everyone had gone through the merch line. No way! My new friend and I, now bonded by this promise for “Peaches,” sat off to the side and waited for the time to come. 

Eventually, the line dwindled and we ended up as the last two fans in the room. Rezen grabbed an acoustic guitar and sat on the edge of the stage. The two of us sat down cross-legged in front of him. Feeling sort of like I was back at sleepaway camp being regaled by a camp counselor, we got an exclusive, acoustic rendition of a song that satirizes the collapse of society through an optimistic can of cling peaches. The song ends typically with a beautiful three-part harmony, and this performance was no different. Right on cue, Jhunjhunwalla and Kerr ran over from the merch booth to hit their respective harmonized notes for the final chords, and all five of us laughed when the song ended. “Peaches” received probably the smallest (but maybe most enthusiastic?) round of applause it’s probably had in a live performance setting, but as they say, “it really is the simple things that matter.”

Thesaurus Rex promised to be back in Minneapolis sometime next spring or summer when their new album is finished, and if it wasn’t obvious, I’ll be waiting patiently for the next time they come to town (and I’ll ask for “The Bachelor’s Wife” next.)