Minneapolis has always been one of Chicago's greatest neighbors when it comes to delivering some of the best music the Midwest has to offer. Every time I think I've got a handle on the city's scene, another band surfaces and proves there's still more to discover.
She's Green is the latest to do just that, weaving dreamy shoegaze textures into something weightless and hypnotic.
The first time I saw them, I didn't have a camera, which in hindsight didn't matter. The lighting was a challenge, swallowing every detail in deep shadows and fog.
It was the kind of show meant to exist in memory alone, pretty hazy and untouchable.
Schubas however, offered a different experience. The stage was beautifully lit, catching frontwoman Zofia Smith at just the right moment. Plenty of moments. A rare occasion where I felt the better medium would've been video to capture her nuances. Her presence was effortless, each turn and movement feeling natural, instinctive, more at home under the sea. Her vocals, soft yet commanding, the kind that seemed to bloom from within rather than pushing outward. She sang with a settled confidence, as if the songs were second nature to her, delivered with the ease of someone completely at home in the music.
Minneapolis has given me some of my favorite punk discoveries over the last few years, but with She's Green, it's also proving to be home to some of the best shoegaze I've ever experienced. This time, I didn't have to rely only on memory, I have the photos to recollect it.