Band tees, flannels and Converse were common sights Saturday night at Fargo Skatepark, where three Illinois rock bands brought a mix of emo, indie and alternative sounds to the venue inside the indoor skatepark and skateshop.

The show, held from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., brought together an audience of around 20.

No Better Today

The first band to take the stage was “No Better Today,” a five-member alt-rock group made up of Luis Ortiz on guitar, Diego Ortiz on bass, Danny Branske on vocals, Caleb Jennings on drums and Scott Vickery on guitar.

Opening with a loud staggering guitar riff, Branske along with Vickery and Diego Ortiz brought the energy of the room up as they jumped up and down to the increasing drum beat in their first number “White Lies.” 

Similar to the rest of the band’s set, “White Lies” leaned heavily on drummer Jennings to mark the beat. 

Jennings explained how he keeps the band in pace on stage. 

“If I’m on the grid, then everybody else will be on the grid,” he said. “If I’m off the grid, then, it’s a train wreck.” 

As the band moved to their second song “Fire Ball,” their early 2000s influences became clear — reminiscent of Blink-182 and Fall Out Boy —  they filled the small venue with fast riffs and gritty guitar tones. 

Branske shouted the chorus, “Feels like the world’s collapsing around me,” expressing the panic that comes with the issue of global warming. 

The band’s fourth number “Until the Day I Die,” had a quicker pace compared to the dynamic and eerie third track “Bite Me.”

The band glowed under pink and green lights as Jennings, along with Vickery and Luis Ortiz, joined in vocally for “Until the Day I Die” as he beat the drum set nodding his head along. 

The audience reflected the group’s energy with swaying movements, leg kicks and jumps.

Murder Medication

The next band to take the stage was Murder Medication, a four-piece emo alt-rock group that featured Shefali Sharma on vocals, Samara Waters on guitar and backing vocals, Trinity Balboa on bass and Joey Fraider on drums.

The band started off with a heavy drum beat and confident guitar riffs in “You Need A Hero (I Need A Break),” Waters flipped her hair back and forth as she dictated the melody along with Sharma who gave a strong vocal performance. The two interacted on stage, trading glances and moving in sync with the music.

When Fraider’s drumstick hit the snare, the room moved with it as heads dropped in unison. He kept the tempo precise and strong. The crowd of about six people leaned into the stage as a few more joined the audience from an open door leading to Lincoln Highway.

The band described their sound as a not-so-strict mix of emo, punk, rock and country genres.

“You shoot for emo, you land above the stars,” Fraider said. 

“Cemetary” was the band’s second track; it opened with a quieter guitar solo accompanied by a gentle cymbal beat from Fraider. When Sharma joined their vocals became the pinnacle of attention as the sound slowly built. 

The next track, “Misery (Every Mystery),” began with a relaxed beat with minor notes coming from the strings, before quickly expanding into a more powerful arrangement. 

Sharma held out long notes while Waters played technical riffs leading the melody. Two audience members danced together as others joined in from across the room before the entire audience, which had doubled in size, started head-banging and moving together.

Last on the set was a grunge cover of B.o.B’s hit “Airplanes.”

The crowd of 20 moved around the venue and enclosed the stage as many sang and swayed along. 

Sharma ended the track with a high-pitched note as they kneeled to the floor, the audience responded immediately with a loud, unified cheer. 

Take Care of Yourself 

“Take Care of Yourself” is an indie-emo group that has been performing all together for only two weeks after the members met drummer Simon Zaborsky at a DIY show in Homer Glen, recruiting him to the band. 

The band featured Christopher John Van Meerten Jr. on vocals, Jaylen Millraney on lead guitar and backing vocals, Anthony Anderson on bass and Zaborsky on drums. 

During the band’s third hit, “LIGHTHOUSE,” bassist Anderson’s catchy chords radiated through the venue. 

Many nodded along as Van Meerten sang, although he was quieter than the instrumentals. Millraney spun their head to the rhythm while Zaborsky’s drumming built momentum, prompting the crowd and the bassist to briefly jump along with the beat. 

Between songs, the band spoke casually to each other, exchanging jokes. They appeared at ease on stage, moving into their next track, “WELL, ANYWAY . . . ” which opened with a strong guitar riff setting a metallic tone. 

Millraney leaned over the edge of the stage jamming, while Anderson lifted his bass into the air and Van Meerten swung his guitar across his body, speeding up the tempo.

During their cover of “Clarity” by Jimmy Eat World, Anderson’s voice cut through as he joined Van Meerten on vocals. Millraney’s fast-paced shredding and Zaborsky’s speedy drumming kept the song moving as the two front members nodded in rhythm. 

The band’s following track, “STARS,” began with a piercing guitar shred as Millraney sang and played while simultaneously flipping their hair in time with the beat before briefly stepping off the stage. The set continued with motifs of loud cymbal crashes and smooth transitions between phrases.

Van Meerten, who writes the band’s music and lyrics, described his songwriting process as rooted in emotion.

“I’m about the raw emotion of music and making sure someone, if you’re listening to it, you feel that raw emotion,” Van Meerten said. “Whenever I feel that inspiration, I just go for it, write it down.” 

The final song of the night, “SHELTERED,” started with the guitarists and bassist being turned away from the audience. As Van Meerten’s low vocals grew the band spun around and dove into a fast rhythm. 

The band blended sounds of grunge and groove as Millraney stepped off the stage. Four audience members crouched and mimicked Millarney’s guitar riff with their hands. The crowd swayed as Van Meerten repeated the refrain, “Don’t neglect me”.

“Take Care of Yourself” ended the night with Aderson yelling out a heartfelt tribute to the audience.

“One last time DeKalb, goodbye, mwah” he said