There are a few things that rarely occur in one’s life: seeing Halley’s Comet, finding one’s true soul mate, and seeing the band Rachel’s perform live. Fortunately, I can say I have finally experienced the latter after many years of waiting, and it was everything I expected it to be and more. In order to effectively understand why I am so drawn to the band and just exactly who they are, allow me to give you a brief history. The group was formed in early 1991 when guitarist/bassist Jason Noble met violinist Christian Fredrickson in the Louisville, KY area and a startling connection was made; they took their name from Noble’s car, which was named Rachel at the time. Noble, who was no stranger to indie rock, played in the seminal outfit Rodan, which was equally as influential to indie rockers as the highly respected Slint. The group, which brainstormed the idea of mixing and melding together various indie rock nuances with a distinct neo-classical sound, and occasional avant garde elements, continued to flourish and push the envelope musically. The results were staggering as the group took on a completely original sound and was able to aurally paint pictures that gave listeners a feeling of serenity and solitude. As the years passed by, the group began to grow at a tremendous rate when they incorporated the amazingly talented Rachel Grimes on piano, Eve Miller on cello and Edward Grimes on drums.

Throughout their career, the band has recorded five full length albums, (Handwriting, Music for Egon Schiele, The Sea and the Bells, Selenography, Systems/Layers) toured all over the world, worked with dance companies, and changed the way many people viewed music. It is near impossible to convey my exact sentiment towards the band, as I’ve taken their music along with me throughout some of the most important years of my life. I still remember the first time that I heard their music as I was driving home late at night from a long trip – I was suddenly taken over by their sound and transported to a place like none other. I still think about that drive and how the music sounded, how it made me feel and how truly magical it was. Since that point, I’ve introduced/recommended their albums to countless people, shared intimate moments of my life alongside their music and spent numerous times engaged in deep introspective thought while partaking in what has become the Rachel’s experience. Rachel’s is not a band to like or to even casually listen to on occasion; they are instead a band to fall in love with, to view your life in the context of their creations and find yourself immersed in what it means to be alive and to be human.

As I waited for the show to start I noticed the usual cast of Minneapolis characters waiting outside the theatre sporting the typical indie rock attire. A quick glance revealed people of all ages in attendance, even including senior citizens; I knew this was certainly not going to be just the average show. As I entered the theatre, I was awed by the beautiful interior aesthetics, which was complemented nicely by the true rustic feel of such an astonishing historical theatre. The night started off with two highly entertaining and original puppet shows courtesy of The Hunter Marionettes and Daniel Polnau. After a short film, an intermission, an acoustic set featuring Matt Pond PA, and a performance by Seluah, the time had finally arrived.

Rachel’s finally took the center stage at around midnight. The audience sat in a tranquil mood, although eager in anticipation of hearing the highly artistic post-rockers. After a brief set-up period, including a film that was to be projected during their performance to present a visual element, the group finally began to play. Starting things out with “Moscow is in the Telephone,” the first track from their new record, Systems/Layers; the band entranced listeners with graceful violin, cello and piano interplay amongst accompanying various experimental samples. I was instantly transported to another place; the music began to wrap and twist itself around my thoughts and I became engrossed with the experience. It was during the second song, “Water from the Same Source” in which things really started to pick up, which featured all of the members composing an upbeat melancholic melody featuring Rachel Grimes’ gorgeous piano work. It was this song that fully demonstrated the members’ unparalleled musical ability to perfectly articulate such feelings of sorrow and despair, as well as beauty, gracefulness and innocence.

During the show, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the band decided to reference some of their earlier recordings, including “A French Galleasse,” which was taken from my favorite record, Selenography. The song completely enchanted the audience and put them into higher levels of consciousness as one became fixated on the gorgeous interplay of instruments that were presented in exquisite minor key melodies. The band showed they were not all serious, as guitarist/bassist Jason Noble joked around with the audience on a number of occasions. First, he told the audience, “Oh, you don’t have to buy our record; you can just download it.” In another instance, he encouraged the audience to touch their adjacent neighbor, make out with them or hold them close during the song. They proceeded to enter into an awe-inspiring rendition of “Lloyd’s Register,” taken from 1996’s The Sea and the Bells album, which was so beautiful it literally sent chills up my spine. Noble was quite correct; Rachel’s is music for lovers.

After a few more songs from their new record, and a couple more from The Sea and the Bells, the band had finally completed their set at around 1:20 A.M. I decided to speak with a couple members to tell them just how much I enjoyed the show and found them to be very kind individuals. As I left the show that night, I was truly moved by their performance; it was warm, intimate and highly emotional. I feel privileged to have been in attendance as I found the show to be one of the top musical experiences I have been to in quite some time. While their performance was a rare occasion, I know now that I will remember it for years to come.