The Varisty Theater in Minneapolis is definitely up there on my top 5 favorite venues in the Twin Cities. It’s dark, chill atmosphere is not only perfect for higher energy performances, but is absolutely ideal for chill acoustic sets as well. Also, the couches are phenomenally comfortable.
On May 24th I was able to see two out of three bands play at The Varisty that covered the full mellow to not so mellow spectrum: Christie DuPree, The Narrative, and Eisley.
Opening the show was Tyler, Texas, native Christie DuPree, performing that night with her brother Colin. Christie mentioned that she had been concerned about this show because she woke up with a sore throat, but I can assure you that no one in the audience would have guessed that by her performance. Heartfelt lyrics sung by a soulful voice filled the venue and moved the audience. Speaking of the audience, they were so relaxed and involved in what was happening on stage, the members that weren’t seated in the numerous couches and chairs throughout the venue, were seated on the floor in front the stage. From where I was seated, I couldn’t hear any conversation through the entire set, meaning the audience was just that enthralled with the performance. What I thought was especially cool was that while Christie was playing acoustic guitar, Colin was playing electric guitar. Playing only chords and using effects, Colin completed a surprisingly full sound for there only being two people on stage.
Armed with guitars and a keyboard, The Narrative took the stage next. Adorable Suzie Zeldon and Jesse Gabriel displayed a charming repport with each other and the audience throughout the entire set. Playful banter and stories about Perkins’ pie in North Dakota set a very comfortable tone for the whole show. Vocally, they were solid from beginning to end. Suzie has a voice that is clear and just rings, making it difficult not to listen to the stirring lyrics – if one were foolish enough to try not to listen in the first place. And though they were instrumentally simple, they had a great, full sound and awesome harmonies no matter who was singing lead. Despite their full sound, however, the only thing I was missing, was a full band. I did enjoy the show and they sounded great, but sometimes it felt like their songs were too big for just two people. All-in-all though, it was a fantastic set and I will definitely be watching their career in the future.
Check out the video we shot of The Narrative below and swing by their Last.FM page here: Click it! to get more information regarding the band, how you can get your digital and non-digital fingers on their albums, and see where they’re going to be playing next.
