Just to see the GAYNGS gang all together again would have been draw enough for the hundreds of people who showed up on Sunday, but the group took it a step further and made the evening into its very own local music showcase:"Affilyated," by opening up the Mainroom, 7th St Entry, and the Record Room to over twenty different acts, all associated (or Affilyated har har har) with GAYNGS in some way.
The show, which held the same title as the recently released Doomtree regrind of GAYNGS' debut album (listen to and download it here), was a definite nod to heavy ties with the Minneapolis hip-hop collective, with solo sets by Dessa, POS, Cecil Otter, Mike Mictlan, and Lazerbeak in the Record Room, and an incredible whole-crew blowout in the mainroom right before GAYNGS finally went on at about 1am.
With shows going on simultaneously in all three First Ave spaces all night, it was impossible to catch every one, but the crew and I made it around to as many as we could, rubbing shoulders with some of the most talented and humble artists the Shiver Cities have ever produced.
Stefan Alexander, aka P.O.S.
Yep, he was actually that close... I think all shows should be in the Record Room from now on.
Every man and woman in the room forgot about their boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, or wives when Dessa came in...
Dessa, killing it.
Even bears in moonboots were welcome at the drumtastic Marijuana Deathsquads show.
Mike Mictlan and Dessa in the Mainroom with the Doomtree crew.
GAYNGS.
Dessa and J. Vernon with GAYNGS.
Har Mar Superstar spent a good portion of the GAYNGS set muggin' it on a speaker... this, of course, was after he came in and sang "One More Try" in a white cape. YES.
I love when a band creates a hand sign that basically encourages you to flip them off all night.
Let's be serious... this was the highlight of my night. DOOMTREE!
I hope you were there too, folks - if not, the next time you hear "GAYNGS" and "First Avenue" in the same sentence, you'd better get it together!
-K
