The setting of uncomfortable weather in the early evening on a Tuesday didn’t exactly match First Ave’s normal vibe. To make up for the below freezing temperatures outside, Speak Low If You Speak Love warmed up the crowd with their intimate tunes. Soon after, Creeper invited the crowd to move with their intensity.
Before Neck Deep could begin their set, Seaway took the crowd on a tropical vacation. Buttoned into a Hawaiian shirt and wearing sunglasses that didn’t leave his face for the entirety of their set, Ryan Locke brought summer to Minnesota for a quick half hour.
Neck Deep brought their high-energy, emotionally-driven set to First Avenue, and elements of their performance were quite unique. Towards the middle of their set, Ben Barlow expressed “The greatest possible thing we can hope to achieve as a band is to help people out of a tough time; if we can change someone’s perspective or outlook on life, then we have done something positive and we’re happy—that’s all we want.” This meaningful message resonated with their whole set. Neck Deep showed their appreciation for their fans in a couple different ways throughout the night. From dedicating songs to someone they met earlier that day, to allowing a stranger to perform on stage with them.
A fan who had driven ten hours from Canada attended Neck Deep’s meet and greet prior to the show. He asked to sing guest vocals for the song “Don’t Wait” (usually performed by Sam Carter of Architects). Neck Deep expressed the awkwardness of a stranger asking to perform with them on stage but nonetheless, they brought him out with open arms and he ended up seriously impressing them with his performance. For Neck Deep, it is important to highlight their fans’ talents in addition to their own. Because of this, they share a connection with their fans unlike any other.
