Minneapolis shoegaze band She’s Green finally made it to New York for a show at The Knitting Factory, where they had the East Village head-banging and throwing their hands in the air.
Stream: “smile again” – she’s green
I stumbled into Cafe Mogador on St. Mark’s Place around 2 PM.
Sat at a table in the center of the room, was the wide-eyed, cult-followed, Minneapolis shoegaze band, She’s Green. The midwest kids drove straight through the night in a minivan rental to Ithaca, New York, to play a backyard show at Cornell two days prior. They decided to jump on a last minute bill at the Knitting Factory on Avenue A to make the most out of their East Coast excursion. It was the band’s first time in NYC, and they were ecstatic.
I love taking witness to the buzz that creative individuals feel during their first time in New York; it’s intoxicating and it reminds me how lucky I am to live here.
She’s Green is comprised of Zofia Smith (vocals), Liam Armstrong (guitar), Kevin Seebeck (drums), Raines Lucas (guitar), and Teddy Nordvold (bass) and the group came into formation just under two years ago when they started playing house shows in Minneapolis’ iconic neighborhood of Como. They garnered nationwide attraction from their songs like “Smile Again” and “Mandy,” and have since been collaborating with other exciting artists in the scene like Slow Pulp.
Over pita and hummus, we chatted about the band’s future and what they wanted out of this whole music thing. “I really wanna give it a real shot, ya know. I feel like we haven’t even scratched the surface. And for some reason, the young kids, they really connect with our music,” says frontwoman Zofia Smith. It’s true – I’ve seen it in action.
After doing my best to convince the band to make the move to New York and be a part of the beautiful re-ignition of the live rock scene, we set out on a walk through the village. I pointed out landmarks like the original CBGB’s (which is now sadly a John Varvatos) and Jean-Michel Basquait’s old studio on Great Jones, and I could tell that the band was hooked; the city’s energy is infectious.
Then came the show. In the backroom of an unassuming cafe/bar called Baker Falls, She’s Green slowly took the stage.
In what seemed like one fluid motion, She’s Green rose from their loop pedals and began rocking the small club. The room was suddenly full of people head-banging; Armstrong and Lucas stared at their shoes and jammed on their whammy bars creating the band’s distinct and ethereal sound; Nordvold thumbed his bass and kept up with the rhythm of the audience who were soon to become fans; Seebeck hammered the drums and Zofia Smith’s pretty melodies rang through the room; I closed my eyes and it felt euphoric.
“I want our music to feel the way dreams do,” coined Smith, after the set, as she lit up a cigarette.
Armstrong and Lucas cater to that dream-like ambition; they let the reverb of their guitars echo through the ears of eager listeners as they tune to open D between songs; the songs never really stop, though. Instead, they blend together to make one continuous symphony of dreamy riffs and drum builds.
Smith’s vocals are what tie this band’s charming essence together. Her lyrics are emotive and loaded with cathartic messages touching on her struggles with mental health; she feels what she is singing, and in turn, it’s almost impossible not to connect with the music as an audience member.
When someone is honest on stage, you want to open up and be vulnerable right back.
That’s what makes She’s Green so enticing to me; the way they create an atmosphere of a shared experience and emotional connectivity is wholly inspiring.
She’s Green have all the intangibles to find success in the coming months; with new music on the way, an engaged audience, and a strong live set, they will be an extremely exciting band to watch. Make sure to follow along, before it’s too late to say you were early.
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Stream: “bleed” – she’s green
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© Nick Cai
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