On March 5, feeble little horse took the stage at First Ave 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis as part of their six-show Midwest tour. The experience of being in the crowd captured the magical, blissed-out energy of the Pittsburgh indie rock band’s music.
I’ve been a listener of feeble little horse for a year or so now, so I was super excited when I had the opportunity to see them over spring break. I was in the area visiting my girlfriend Millie and we met up with our friend Jared for the show.
7th Street Entry is tiny, with a capacity of just 250, which creates an intimate environment for shows. When the three of us filed in a little after doors, the room was already fairly full of super cool-looking people with dyed hair, wire-framed glasses, coquettish accessories and off-the-charts aura. I was in good company. We settled a few people back from the stage.
The show’s opener was Hooky, an electronic duo from Philadelphia. They walked onto stage carrying a large urn, which they placed on a stool and messed around with a lot during their set, picking it up, putting it down and jumping near it as if to try and knock it over. This off-center centerpiece contributed to their eccentric vibe. I had never listened to their music before, but I’d describe them as having a mellow, yearning, bedroom-music type sound. I enjoyed their live-tuned vocals and how smoothly they were able to blend choppy electronic sounds with soft, buzzing guitar.
feeble little horse stepped out onto a stage decorated with stuffed animals propped up on amps and little dolls hanging from mic stands. The stage setup mirrored the whimsical energy of feeble little horse’s music, which translated well into live performance. From the moment they started the striking guitar of their opening song “Freak,” the room was charged with a sort of magical energy.
This magic was carried along by the lead singer Lydia Slocum’s sweet, pillowy voice, which sometimes floated above the rest of the band but other times was drowned out in the mix by the grungy guitars and drums. Slocum sang her heart out as she slapped notes on the bass in time with the band’s two guitarists, Sebastian Kinsler and Rob Potesta.
Kinsler and Potesta were some of the most skilled guitarists I’ve ever seen perform. They stayed perfectly synced up seemingly effortlessly across feeble little horse’s long, complex, harmonic riffs. Their talent stood out especially in “Sweet,” where the track’s catchy hooks cut cleanly through the band’s fuzz. The unique guitar melodies are my favorite part of feeble little horse’s music and I was surprised by how they sounded almost exactly the same live as they do in their studio versions.
The crowd at this show was very chill. I wasn’t expecting a lot of energy (feeble little horse has very few moments that I’d consider moshable,) but I’ve gotten used to crowds being pushy even when the music doesn’t call for it, especially since I tend to stand close to the front. The last time I was at 7th Street Entry to see Jane Remover in April of last year, I had bruises for weeks afterwards. Being able to just sway and enjoy myself was a welcome change from my usual show experience of fighting for my life in a pit of sweaty superfans.
The band was casual and chatty between songs, talking about their love for Minneapolis and announcing new music coming soon (against the advice of their label, Slocum said). I could tell the whole band was having fun performing together. They came back for an encore despite the drummer, Jake Kelley, having damaged the drumset during the performance. Slocum closed the show with a tiny kiss on the microphone as the crowd cheered.
I grabbed a Girl With Fish vinyl on my way out and Millie, Jared and I ran into a couple of people we knew from online. We hung out outside, chatted with the band and got our merch signed before heading out.
The show featured some of my favorites, like “Sweet” and “Steamroller,” but I wish I could’ve heard “Pocket” or their newest 2025 single, “This is Real.” Overall, the set was fun and casual with a magical energy and hypnotically syncopated guitars. I’d love to see feeble little horse again on their next tour and I’m super excited for their next release.
