It appeared to be an average, autumn Wednesday night outside the Triple Rock in Minneapolis. The leaves crunched underfoot, the parking was nearly impossible, and the sullen looking boys in mock-army jackets sucked on their last cigarettes. Inside, the beer flowed cold and the floor was reliably sticky (as it is in all good rock venues).
Yes, everything seemed to be as normal. Little did we know we were inside a time machine: As the aching, quiet chatter of in-between sets died down, out on to the stage walked the cast of Freaks and Geeks. And by “the cast of Freaks and Geeks,” I mean The Preatures, who are essentially their grown up counterparts. Their frontwoman Izzi Manfredi wore high-waisted black jeans, a short white t-shirt, and a leather jacket befitting the cast of Grease. And I kid you not, halfway through the show the people behind me whispered, “It’s Joan Jett.” Their guitarist, Jack Moffitt, wore a little league shirt while their bassist, Tom Champion, sported an INXS one.
But I digress. The real throwback wasn’t The Preatures’ sound. If you’ve listened to their recently released full-length album, Blue Planet Eyes, you’re probably familiar with the rolling bass lines and up-tempo melodies characteristic of the Sydney-based five-piece. But in a live setting, their stage presence is intense.
Throughout the night, Manfredi pushed her vocals to a sonic edge, her face showing every emotion while rounding out the edges of the track. It was enrapturing, and in an age when it’s easier to Instagram than interact, it was enough to get the audience to actually engage—as well as dance like no one was watching.
I’ve been asked by another senior writer not to drop spoilers, so I’ll keep it short: If you’re a fan of the new album you can look forward to “It Gets Better” and “Ordinary,” which were total bangers live. “Threat,” off of their 2012 EP, Shaking Hands, was the most pleasantly surprising addition; for a set that lasted about one hour, the deep cut was a much appreciated and welcome slow jam. All in all The Preatures put on a short, clean, and amped up set worthy of a Thursday night. So go ahead, step into the time machine tonight at The Frequency.