There are few cities in America that boast as robust a music scene as the Twin Cities of Minneapolis – St. Paul. On any given night, one can stroll into one of the many music venues in the city and see iconic artists, local bands, or some of the most exciting up-and-coming acts from across the country.
On Wednesday November 6, 2024, one such show took place at the Fine Line. A small club that opened its doors in 1987. The Fine Line is just a stone’s throw from the iconic First Avenue. Like First Avenue, the Fine Line is home to some of the best showcases of live music in the Twin Cities. On that night, it played host to Chat Pile, one of the most exciting names in the noise rock landscape.
Before Chat Pile took the stage, two opening bands primed the crowd with great sets of their own. Porcelain and Agriculture each brought their own brand of noisy rock and metal to the table.
Porcelain
The first band of the night, Porcelain, proved to be the most melodic. Even with that distinction, they still played a great set of abrasive post-hardcore with noise rock influences. The Austin-based quartet released their first album in February and have wasted no time getting their name out there with a spot on this tour. Porcelain consists of Eli Deitz (Drums) Jordan Emmert (Bass), Ryan Fitzgibbon (Vocals/Guitar) and Steve Pike (Vocals/Guitar)
Porcelain played a short but sweet set that sounded reminiscent of OFF! at times. The show was Porcelain’s final date on the tour, and the entire band donned Chat Pile merch for the first few songs in appreciation for the opportunity to play on the tour. Porcelain certainly made the most of their opportunity and seemed to gain several new fans. The set left no time for stage banter as the band chugged through a performance that set the atmosphere for a night of noisy soundscapes.
Agriculture
The next band to take the stage was Los Angeles-based black metal band Agriculture. The four-piece consists of Richard Chowenhill (Guitar), Kern Haug (Drums), Daniel Meyer (Guitar and Vocals) and Leah Levinson (Bass and Vocals). The band describes their music as an “ecstatic black metal band” that is “inspired by the glory of the ocean.” The group has made waves over the last couple of years releasing a series of well-received singles, EPs and a self-titled album.
Throughout their set, the most striking thing about Agriculture is their pure ferocity. The music rarely relents and its heaviness is palpable. The performances of vocalists Dan Meyer and Leah Levinson are downright violent. Someone unfamiliar with their music (as I am) would have trouble deciphering most of their lyrics live, but that may also be a byproduct of the venue’s acoustics. Regardless of whether you pick up every word or not, the vocals are just as effective as a sonic texture that adds to the heavy soundscape. There are bands that open and are good but don’t make much of a lasting impression on a concert-goer, and there are bands that beckon fans to learn more about them. Agriculture is certainly the latter.
Chat Pile
After a night of crushing rock music, Chat Pile took the stage for a headlining set. For the uninitiated, Chat Pile is a band from Oklahoma City that is often described as sludge metal. The band themselves see their music more fitting in the noise rock category, and that’s reflected in their influences. However one wants to categorize Chat Pile, one thing is certain. The band is making waves in the alternative music genre. Their debut album, God’s Country, was released in 2022 and garnered critical acclaim for its harrowing depiction of society’s ills such as drug addiction, homelessness and more. The band consists of a four-piece group going by the pseudonyms Raygun Busch (Vocals), Luther Manhole (Guitar), Stin (Bass) and Cap’n Ron (Drums).
Chat Pile’s performance began with a ripping rendition of “I Am Dog Now” a single from their newest album. The song is one of the standouts of the record, and is even better live. On the recording of the track, Raygun Busch’s vocals are slightly buried in the mix. Live in a room, though? The powerful cacophony of the singer’s labored screams are haunting in all the best ways. Busch has pointed to David Yow of The Jesus Lizard and H.R from Bad Brains as vocal influences. Before the first song is even over, Busch has taken his shirt and shoes off and looks more like a beach bum than a standout front man. Looks are deceiving. Like a lot of Chat Pile’s music, the track is brutal instrumentally and in terms of lyrical content. Chat Pile is adept at writing some of the most ferocious social commentary in music and scoring it with an equally ugly soundscape. The band counts Big Black as one of their biggest influences and it shines through with their blend of punishing instrumentals with lyrics exploring the worst aspects of society.
The chaotic nature of the live show is also reflected in the banter carried on by Raygun in between songs. He spends the downtime switching between making references to movies set in Minnesota and asking how close the venue is to celebrated author Louise Erdrich’s book store. His scattered thoughts on movies, literature, and jokes about local culture draw a parallel to the band’s music. What may seem directionless, pointless or ugly is actually the vehicle for a well-read and thoughtful message. Chat Pile is just as comfortable talking about Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Social Contract as they are whipping the crowd into a nervous frenzy.
And excite fans is just what they do. There isn’t a moment of the show where you don’t feel like you’re part of a wave of humanity as the audience crushes towards the stage. This is especially true in the Fine Line, a fairly narrow venue that’s crowd area is longer than it is wide. It feels like there’s nowhere to escape throughout the band’s hour-long show. A sense of claustrophobia that only enhances the experience. Indeed, Chat Pile isn’t for everyone. For some, their music may seem unpleasant, unfocused or unfiltered. All those things are true, but as they finished a set consisting mostly of their new album with a few favorites from God’s Country thrown in, you wouldn’t want to experience the band in any other way.
