Sleepless in MSP: Autograf Throws Down at The 7th Street Entry

Last updated on February 18th, 2022 at 10:08 pm

The 7^th Street Entry is a very special part of First Ave. It may not have the allure and legendary status of the main room stage, but for what it lacks in fame, it makes up for in the just about everything else. If you’re a fan super dive bars (like me), 7^th Street has everything you’d want out of your friendly seedy neighborhood bar. It’s dark, the bar looks borrowed from a basement house party, the ceilings are low, and the sound is excellent for such an interesting space. I was perplexed on how Autograf, a three-piece electronic group, would get their set up to fit, especially with the photos I’ve seen from other events.

Autograf is a fairly new electronic group hailing from Chicago. Some of their work has gotten a lot of buzz on streaming services like Soundcloud and Spotify. “You Might Be” (feat. Lils) and “Sleepless in NYC” have generated some hype. They are comprised of two art students and a derivatives trader who decided to start making music inspired by the likes of ODESZA and other similar electronic groups. They rose to prominence by remixing popular tracks from Stevie Wonder, Pharrell, Lorde, ODESZA, Daft Punk & More. Also, they are known for building their stage and instrument setups themselves.

After doing more shows than I can count in the main room at 1st Ave, this was actually the first show I’ve photographed at the 7^th Street Entry. I was excited, but also a little worried. I always remembered the lighting in 7^th Street was a little more suited for small bands rather than the lighting setups of electronic groups that tend to bring huge elaborate sets to their shows. So, photography wise, I maybe wasn’t very excited, but for the show itself, I was jazzed.

When it came to the show, Autograf did not disappoint. Their entire set up was crammed into the small 7^th Street stage, and even though they really couldn’t move around on stage, they kept the crowd hyped throughout the whole night. Their light setup was excellent too, with two large projection screens dominating the back wall of the performance, providing light that filled up the room and really added atmosphere with the help of smoke machines. The music was a mix of their originals and remixes that ranged from new and old & pop hits to niche jams. Tracks from Daft Punk and ODESZA made appearances, and very new tracks like Hayden James’ “NUMB” also made distinct appearances. At times it was similar to a DJ set, of which I am always a fan.

As the night went on and midnight struck, Autograf wound down their show and exited stage left, and almost immediately reentered to play their encore. They featured a new song called “Die Soon” that was recorded specifically for their Caution Tour. As morbid as the title sounds, it actually carried a hopeful message. As Louis Kha explained, it was all about how each and every one of us could die tomorrow, so there is no point in waiting around to follow your dreams. Instead, you should do everything you can to follow them.

At 12:15am, Autograf was lining up for autographs (don’t worry they are well aware of this pun). I was still battling a little cough I picked up from the week prior, and though I should have been in bed, I was so glad I was able to make it out to Autograf show. It was a fun and close-knit dance party in the 7^th Street Entry, full of tracks that I loved. It was worth the fatigue of the following morning because… screw living in fear of being tired the next day.