Early Eyes, a staple band of the Twin Cities music scene for nearly a decade, brought their ambitious new album to 7th Street Entry on March 4.
Capping off the tour of their album “Look Alive!” Early Eyes played an exuberant live show that shook the venue with joy. Their two opening acts, Trash Date and FruitPunchLoverBoy, filled out the full lineup of exciting, young local musicians.
University of Minnesota alum Jake Berglove and their friends formed the band in 2016. After a string of jangling and melodic EPs, Early Eyes shifted directions musically. Nowadays, Berglove is the only remaining member of the original lineup.
“We write music in a totally different way now,” Berglove said.
Early Eyes now consists of Berglove (keys, lead vocals), Josie Villano (guitar, vocals), John O’Brien (guitar, sampler), Megan Mahoney (bass, vocals) and Sam Mathys (drums).
The band released their full-length debut “Look Alive!” in February 2022. The album features a bright electronic haze compared to the band’s original sound. Berglove’s sparkling vocals and meditative lyricism remain a centerpiece.
However, the additional vocals from Mahoney and Villano, combined with new styles of instrumentation, unlock a more nuanced and full sound for the band.
Berglove said as the band has gained more success over the years, tour life has gone from stressful to enjoyable.
“I used to hate being on the road. As Lady Gaga said, ‘Another club, another club, on the plane, and then another club.’ It was just a really stressful experience for me.” Berglove said. “But this most recent tour was a very freeing experience. The fact that we found some success in the music industry and on the internet made it possible for us to take our friends on the journey with us and that process made it feel like we were building a community.”
Early Eyes’ live performance exemplified the community Berglove hopes the band continues to build. The show at 7th Street felt like a celebration of the band’s journey so far. Early Eyes danced in unison with the crowd throughout the entire show and expressed their gratitude for the opening acts and the Twin Cities music scene.
During “Marigolds,” the crowd sang along with the band to the laid-back and melodic tune. The confident spirit the band emulated throughout the set captured the essence of a band comfortable with their sound and identity.
Toward the end of their set, the band astonished the crowd with an animated live performance of “Revel Berry,” which sent fans into a frenzied moshpit during the chorus.
“Notice that it’s not fun. But it is fun. Everything is overdone. But we’re livin’. Overdone,” Berglove and O’Brien sang.
“‘Revel Berry’ is the song that takes the most out of us physically. We can just give it our all and then pack up. The pacing is really cool too on that one,” O’Brien said.
In the coming months, Early Eyes plans to continue to write more music and strengthen their connection with the Twin Cities music scene.
“We’re just trying to get more people involved with our process and get more involved with other people’s projects as well,” O’Brien said. “There’s a lot of really exciting stuff in Minneapolis right now, and I think that cross-pollination is healthy for any music scene.”
