Photos + Review: Better Lovers @ Studio B (Minneapolis, MN)

Better Lovers (Buffalo, NY)
November 21, 2024
Studio B in Minneapolis, MN

A band that’s been a mainstay in my listening rotation for the longest time has been Every Time I Die. I have vivid memories of Gutter Phenomenon and it’s single “The New Black” releasing and then later on playing that song a ton on Guitar Hero. I consider myself lucky to have been able to see them play a handful of times over the years. One of my favorite memories is being at the last Warped Tour here in Minneapolis and making a point to have Every Time I Die be the last band ever for me. Seeing them as the sunset, and Jordan playing the last riff of “Map Change” for what seemed like forever, will forever be ingrained in my head.

The other side of this coin is the band Dillinger Escape Plan. They, along with Every Time I Die, were (are?) notorious for the craziness that goes on during their live shows, but it’s still just hearsay to me still. I never got the chance to attend a show, as they broke up shortly after I got into photographing concerts. I’ve been bummed about that for a long time now.

Fast forward to a few years later and I was also incredibly bummed out when Every Time I Die broke up. Soon after I got excited at the thought of the new band that would come out of both of these ones mentions, Better Lovers. Three parts Every Time I Die, one part Dillinger Escape Plan, and one part Fit For An Autopsy. Last Thursday I got to attend my first Better Lovers show and learned that the sum of those parts, might in fact be better.

Knowing Better Lovers carries over the notoriety of the bands that came before, I was prepared for utter chaos. Earlier this year the band played a smaller room in the cities, The Fine Line, and this time around it was supposed to be in a bigger one, The Lyric, which I was stoked about. Yes the usual barricaded stage band setup might temper some angst and energy, but I’m too old now to get to a show early for a good spot for photos if no barricade. And for a Better Lovers show? I didn’t really want to get kicked in the head by crowd surfers.

Well color be super disappointed when I learned hours before that the show would be moved to Studio B instead of the Lyric. But ya know, part of being a photographer is rolling with the punches, so we roll.

First off, and most importantly, Better Lovers’s set was amazing. 10/10, would see again. But. And I hate that there’s a but. I kinda expected more? This show exists in a weird spot in my head where it was one of the crazier shows and crowds I’ve been in, but at the same time I expected more crazy. I don’t know, I’m not going to let it detract at all from my overall feelings and happiness from the night. Like I said, I’m okay with not getting kicked in the head.

I was very excited to see this show as it’s been one I’ve been looking forward to for a while. Better Lovers recently released their first LP “Highly Irresponsible” and I honestly think it might be my favorite of the whole year. A bit of a sleeper hit, something about it just draws me back to it again and again. It’s taken the best parts of Every Time I Die and Dillinger Escape Plan and combines it into one heavy yet catchy yet complex piece of music. It’s an album that I knew I had to see live.

I didn’t get let down at all and had goosebumps all over for at least the first three songs. I was taken aback at just how good Greg Puciato’s singing and screaming sounded, especially for how long he’s been doing it.

I do think that the venue switch to Studio B, which is a much smaller and more intimate room, lent itself to a different feel to the show which in hindsight I appreciate, and will appreciate more and more as time goes on. Crowd rowdy and sweaty throughout, every breakdown hit harder than I imagined each time listening through the record.

The second to last song played, “Love as an Act of Rebellion,” the band asks repeatedly “How can we survive, if love has become an act of rebellion?” It’s a line that’s been stuck in my head since I first listened to it a month ago and is so apt for the type of world we may be entering into next year. Part of how I’ll survive is by continuing to listen to Better Lovers.