7.8.26 - Minneapolis, MN

On June 7, Novulent took over 7th St. Entry in Minneapolis with their alternative and grunge-style sound. The small venue was packed with the newest wave of alt-rock fans, and it was hard to deny the magnetic pull of Novulent’s music.

Babyteeth got the show started for the night and really knew how to draw the crowd in. With their dream-like sound, Babyteeth’s music tows the line between grunge and pop in a way I can only describe as vibey. They played a majority of the songs off their debut album, Cemetery Sweetheart. Their energy was so adorably infectious, and it made everyone entranced. There wasn’t a moment where anyone in the audience looked bored. They recorded Babyteeth and screamed for them as if they were the main act. When they closed out their set, the crowd chanted for Babyteeth, not wanting them to leave the stage despite knowing the artist they came to see was up next.

Through the smoke and haze, Novulent emerged on stage and dove right into the show. Starting with “dysphoria,” the instrumentation and Novulent’s vocals slowly rose and fell throughout the song. The crowd’s energy mirrored this behavior and headbanged along with the heaviness. After the first three songs, Novulent encouraged the crowd to open up a mosh pit, and they willingly obliged. Now that the mosh pit opened in the center and the front row was jamming out, the crowd was officially set to go.

With Novulent’s hair covering their face and a bright red vintage microphone brought up to their lips, they dove into the rest of their show. Between each of their songs, they ensured everyone was having a good time, was safe, and was well hydrated. Moving through their songs "2002," "evil eye,” and "sweet revenge,” Novulent continued to encourage the crowd to go crazy and told them they better be singing the lyrics loudly.

During the set, fans held up shoes, which may have been a playful gesture to Novulent being considered a shoegaze musician. Their fans, lovingly called “Novas,” showed up throughout the night and were screaming along to the lyrics. Their energy was infectious, and it was difficult not to move to the music.

The back half of their setlist saw some of Novulent’s most streamed songs, such as “scars” and “molly and sex.” These songs elicited some of the loudest cheers and highest points of energy despite coming at the end of the night. The setlist was perfectly curated to have strong bursts of energy and then, once everyone was all sweaty, gave them a break to sway slowly with one another.

The show came to an end in an almost abrupt fashion. After ending with Novulent’s latest song, “self destruct,” they grabbed bracelets and crocheted items from fans and promised to stand by the small merch booth to take photos, sign merch, and talk to everyone. With that, Novulent walked off the stage. Fans lined up along the back wall to have a moment of Novulent’s time and presumably share how much their music means to them.

The deeply personal music Novulent creates brought together a room full of people who understand one another even though they are strangers. The night wrapped up before the sun had fully set, and the juxtaposition of the sun setting with the show ending was a beautiful sight.