grandson Celebrates New Music And Freedom With Energized Fillmore Show
It was a wacky and wild weekend, what with Halloween and it being a "kids weekend" where my boyfriend's kids were with us. It was fun, but it was just too much, and by Sunday night, all I really wanted to do was spend a night catching up on housework and everything else to set me up for success in the new week. Okay, that's kind of a lie because that sounds like such a "normal" thing to do. I knew I wanted a show and knew I needed a great one to kick off the new week, but I felt a bit guilty as I left my house in disarray and my laundry pile overflowing. That being said, I am so glad that I didn't have a "normal" night and, instead, decided to spend it with grandson and Ho99o9 at The Fillmore in Minneapolis.
The first time I saw Ho99o9 (pronounced "Horror") live was all the way back in 2015. I won't say it was life-changing, because I feel like that's a bit dramatic, but I will say that they caught my attention and I instantly wanted more. Unfortunately, Ho99o9 doesn't seem to come to the Twin Cities often, and I've only had the chance to see them three more times since then until Sunday night. I honestly didn't care who the headliner was or where the show was; I just needed a little Ho99o9 in my life, and they absolutely delivered on Sunday.
Ho99o9 is a punk rap duo from the East Coast. Their sound is chaotic in all of the best ways. It's a little Death Grips, a little Bob Vylan, and a whole mess of energy that is impossible to escape. I was a little surprised to see them on this particular tour as grandson, the headliner, is much more commercial than the insanity that is Ho99o9. I was afraid that the band would mellow out ever so slightly to be a bit more digestible for the fans of grandson, but thankfully, that fear was for nothing. From the second this duo (joined by drummer Billy Rymer, formerly of The Dillinger Escape Plan) took the stage, it was sheer intensity. It was power, brutality, and emotion pouring from the stage to the audience, and it quickly became clear that this band was not going to tame things down for anyone. They wanted the crowd (of whom the majority had never even heard of Ho99o9) to feel the raw emotion that is in their music, and they absolutely accomplished that and then some.
There was something theatrical about Ho99o9's set, but it wasn't planned that way. I don't know if that makes sense, but basically, their set was barebones. It was just the three members on stage performing. Sure, there was a cohesive element to the outfits of both theOGM and Eaddy (the two men of the duo) but, beyond that, there was no smoke or mirrors. It was just them, the drummer, and their signature sound, but it was the way they presented said sound that gave the set a theatrical vibe. You felt a sense of desperation and a sense of grit and anger with every passing song, even if you had no clue what the song was about or had never heard it before. Although intensity was the name of the game when it came to Ho99o9's set, there was also a sense of fun behind it. At one point, one of the members took the microphone and explained to the crowd, "You just have to have fun a little, you know?" and then a quirky little dance break ensued before chaos once again took control of the room.
I'll be honest, I was at this show to see Ho99o9, but leaving a show early is rude, and I would never miss a chance to see grandson. grandson was one of my pandemic bands. Something about his music resonated with me, and it hit me hard when I was lost, trying to get through life without live music —the thing that keeps me alive. All that being said, I have fallen off the grandson wagon, but was quickly reminded of the power that this man has as soon as he stepped foot onto the Fillmore stage on Sunday night.
Born Jordan Benjamin, grandson is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and rapper. What makes this man stand out from a sea of other musicians is the way he seems to blend two very contrasting worlds. You have the singer/songwriter vibe coming through loud and clear with these deep and often creative words, but then you have a heaviness to every song that is from his rap-style of presenting it all. When you add a live band behind him, you are left with a set that, like Ho99o9's, is impossible to ignore and so easy to fall in love with. All of this was put in the spotlight on Sunday night, and although I've seen grandson a couple of times before, something felt different about this set. There was more power, more angst, more grit, but at the same time, more genuineness behind it all. This makes sense as, after just a couple of songs, grandson took to the microphone and explained that this was the first time he was coming through the Twin Cities as a fully independent artist. Although I had a hard time understanding exactly what he meant by that statement when playing a Live Nation-owned venue, I could sense how much this meant to him in the way he said it, and I am truly happy for him.
Sunday night's show was part of a tour celebrating grandson's new album 'Inertia', which was released in September. We got treated to an entire album playthrough, but also got to hear some other tracks from grandson's other releases, including a few songs from his debut 'Death of an Optimist' album, which was my pandemic soundtrack for so long. Although I wish this show could have been a playthrough of that album, I loved how grandson played every song with so much conviction and his own personality that even the new songs brought me a sense of comfort, like he had brought me back in 2020. I guess what I'm trying to say is that although I was at this show to see Ho99o9, it didn't take long for me to figure out that grandson could hold his own against such a powerful opener, and it led to a rediscovery of sorts of this musician that deserves all of the love and attention he is getting right now and then some.
