While my friends and I were still waiting outside for the doors of the venue to open, we saw the band making their way down the street. There was a little problem with the guy manning the ticket line. He really didn’t want to let an under-aged person into the show, but after being told that my friend was Peter’s sister (lies, pure lies), they let her in. Only after they drew large, obnoxious Xs on both her hands, however.

They had merchandise for sale this time and I noticed they were selling 7� singles. Charles was manning the merch table and I asked him how much the vinyl was going for. He told me they were $5 apiece or I could get “three for $15�. I remember staring at him blankly and saying something like “isn’t that same price? That’s not much of a deal?�. After realizing what he said, he just laughed. “Oh, yeah�. What a funny guy.

My anticipation for the show was very high. This show took place shortly after the album release at the very tiny 7th Street Entry, the small room in the legendary venue, First Avenue. This was their first headlining gig in Minneapolis, in my favorite venue in the city and it was going to be a small, intimate affair. We braced ourselves front and center and prepared for the show of a lifetime. We weren’t disappointed. The band played for an hour and a half straight. It was pure brilliance. Most songs from the album were played, as were quite a few b-sides.

The guys seemed to be a bit nervous, though. Peter kept glancing over at Robert, seeming to be watching him play. It was like he was trying to get in step with him. And they repeatedly were asking for changes with the mikes. At one point, I remember a local musician, the lead singer of 12 Rods (now broken up) yelling at them to “Loosen up!�. His comment was undeserved, however. They did a great job, despite the problems they were having with the sound.

The crowd reaction was of reserved skepticism. People seemed to be saying “go on, impress me.� BRMC was one of the new, cool bands and I think people were waiting to see if they were worth the hype.

They were. They were a new genre of music: Fucking Awesome. They are a great live band. I still rank this show, four years later, as one of the best I’ve ever seen.

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