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Colin Bracewell Sells Out 7th Street Entry

Photo by Smouse

I certainly wasn’t born yesterday, and Colin Bracewell wasn’t either at 20 years old, but he’s a new emerging talent in the Twin Cities that seems to have come from nowhere. Originally from Ontario, Canada, Colin has quickly established a brand of music that is both dark and nostalgic. With only 3 official tracks on Spotify, an impressive SOLD OUT show at 7th Street Entry is a sign of a new birth of music from this young man. The show was a sneak peek of his September EP release Valley.

Photo by Smouse

GOWNS

The lineup for the evening carried the same theme with newer formed bands GOWNS (late 2018) and Durry (2020). Missing almost all of GOWNS due to a long line to get in, the energy inside was primed from the very start. The excited feeling of seeing a full room with a 5 piece band onstage was palpable. Vocalist John Bair energized the crowd by grabbing an audience member and shaking them during a song. John also grabbed a saxophone that magically appeared from the audience for a quick solo as well. Revelations, their newly released album will definitely be on my playlist this week.

Photo by Smouse

Durry

Formed during the pandemic, siblings Austin and Taryn joined together together to write about their shared childhood experiences while looking ahead in an hopeful way. The romp between these two timelines, past and future, make for an unique combination that presented onstage, had the crowd moving along. The pinnacle of their set was a quick plea for assistance on singing “alright, alright, alright” during their song “Judgement Day“. Hearing a sold out audience quickly jump onboard by belting out the lines had the band brimming with smiles. Definitely another band to bookmark and follow, Durry radiated a curiosity to hear more of their new songs. 

Photo by Smouse

Colin Bracewell

Breaking a guitar string during the first song “Why“, Colin embraced the audience with a warm welcome immediately after. If there was any nerves during the first song, they dispersed immediately as Colin’s band dove into the “Valley”, the title track of his upcoming fall release. The slow trickle of keys, bass, and drums culminating in a laid back early Bon Iver/James Blake vibe. The dynamics of Colin’s voice and ease of emoting his lyrics stands out.

Photo by Smouse

By the third song into the set “Let Me In”, the crowd was clapping along and cheering any moment that the trumpet player stepped up to play. The softer “Not Today” showcased the smoothness and comfort of Colin’s stage presence. It also opened up his falsetto, the secret weapon in his arsenal. This softer moment felt just as heightened as the faster songs as the front of the venue cheered throughout.

Photo by Smouse

He worked in a quick thank you to his grandparents that illegally traveled down from Canada to see him perform before playing the opening track of Valley. “The Cage” is a heavier, crunchy tune that exploded in moments of dancing around on stage and crooning into the microphone. A brief moment with a brain fart stalled the opening to “Lovely”, which lead to Colin blushing and apologizing.

Photo by Smouse

Rounding out his set was “You’re Fine”, his main single and the one where everyone seemed to know the words to. The vocal heavy song was a great choice to bring his main attributes together one more time. The full band complimented his songwriting by adding a layer of sheen and power.

Photo by Smouse
Photo by Smouse
Photo by Smouse

In a moment of celebration, Colin finished with “Golden” by Harry Styles. Smiling throughout the song, his band soaked in the final moments of a sold out evening in a venue that has given so many young artists and musicians a golden start. These moments mean the world to artists emerging and trying to find their place in a concentrated and strong music community like Minneapolis. I certainly wasn’t born yesterday, but I left feeling hopeful on a new generation of music in the Twin Cities.

Photo by Smouse

 

 

 

Written by Smouse

Having spent 13 years recording and producing Minnesota artists, along with running a small record label, Smouse is a passionate advocate of musicians and artists in Minnesota.

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