Last updated on November 5th, 2018 at 10:09 am

Punching Up

We’re a blessed bunch us Minnesotans. There are some things most wouldn’t consider the best. We have the biting cold. We have snow (Yo, have you heard of the Halloween blizzard of ’91?) And, to a fair amount of the nation, we’re flyover country (I was asked if we were close to Ohio recently). But, if there’s one thing I’ve realized more over the past year covering music, it is that we punch far above our weight when it comes to who we can bring to town.

The Armory has seen the likes of big rap stars, Above & Beyond for New Year’s Eve and massive shows like Slayer. We pull artists. There always seems to be someone coming to our city on the holidays and Halloween is no different. We got Rezz. And if you were familiar with Rezz, you’d know that the one holiday that would define her work is: Halloween.

It’s actually the 2^nd year in a row Rezz has made Minneapolis her Halloween destination with her show the previous year taking place at the Skyway Theatre. This year, she’s fresh off the release of her latest Mixtape: Nightmare on Rezz Street. She brought a whole crew with her on her tour across the country, including 1788-L, Bleep Bloop & Ekali, who opened up for her in that order.

Heavy Production

Before The Armory, Rezz played at Suwanee Hulaween in Florida, which I also happened to be covering. Her show there bared a lot of similarities of what I caught on Halloween, except it was about 30 minutes shorter and unfortunately didn’t have the punch of her full production. The amphitheater stage at The Spirit of Suwannee Park isn’t conducive to bass, as the moss-covered trees that dot the bowl tend to gobble up the vibrations. And the stage was quite a bit smaller too.

There was no restriction on space or sound at The Armory. Her stage set was adorned with fog cannons, the screen behind her was massive. There were no trees to deaden the sound which is a critical piece since Rezz’s music relies on being able to punch you in the gut with dark, visceral bass. It’s the keystone of her production, so being able to feel it is a must.

Larger Than Life

Rezz’s glasses are also a defining characteristic of her persona. Her stature isn’t imposing; she probably weighs not much over 100 pounds. But the glasses bring a sense of mystery and allure to her work that makes her appear as a larger-than-life figure on stage. Fans were wearing the same get-up throughout the crowd; I think I saw at least 20 different iterations of the baseball cap and glowing glasses look. Some of the glasses even had a “Rezz” setting, which some fans gladly turned on for my camera.

The set itself was a smattering of her entire discography with a heavy emphasis on Nightmare on Rezz Street. Classic songs like “Relax” and “Edge” off previous EPs and LPs made appearances throughout the show, while my favorite song “Toxin” appeared in the last moments of the set, something that was notably absent in the Hulaween set, as there was not enough time to cover it. My other favorites like “H E X” and “Flying Octopus” (Compete with an animation of an Octopus building a submarine) were also present in the set.

2spooky(& Maybe Late)4me

It was a super bassy and spooky night at The Armory. Each artist on tour with Rezz was heavy in the bass department, and Rezz herself was too. The electric atmosphere was a blast to be a part of, and it’s always a blast to be in concert of super fans. They show out, even though it was a Wednesday. Every beat was felt, not only via the speakers but also with the crowd bumping along with them and headbanging with every hard drop. I got thrashed around a little up front, and it was awesome.

Once 1:45 am rolled around, and the encore blared through the speakers, it was time to go home. My night with the cult of Rezz was a smashing success, and it was worth spending the rest of the week sleep deprived. I’m still feeling it as I finish this up. Hopefully, we can expect Rezz next year on Halloween, after all, she said she’d consider making this “an annual thing.”