We had not played Neisen’s in at least 6 months. That’s a long time in band life to require one get re-acquainted with the venue, the owner, and the local crowd. On top of that, it seemed that every notable Minnesota cover band was playing locally that evening, which meant it’s a competition for live music fans. They had their choice. The fact that the venue was packed to the back of the building by the time we took the stage made us smile (and maybe sigh a bit with relief).
The dancing truly kicked in about set 2 and the band was on fire. Very few mistakes, lots of shout-outs to people from other bands who had the night off, yet chose to come see us. From Sweet Home Alabama to You Should be Dancin’ to Enter Sandman, the crowd responded with an “oooooooh” every time they heard an opening riff. That’s what we like to see.
People still planted firmly on the dancefloor by the last song, we bid goodnight (and we get to dive into the homemade pizzas Neisen’s prepared for our calorie-starved selves). That’s the way we start a December to remember!