By: Jared Gudnason

October 14, 2025

Amsterdam Bar & Hall has been a fixture in downtown St. Paul since 2011, and this October 1, we worked in tandem with the staff of Minneapolis’ First Avenue Productions. While our individual promotions are sold through the ticketing app Dice, First Avenue ticketing operations are via AXS.com for any number of their operated venues. On Wednesday, Jadu Heart headlined the show, and First Avenue bookings have a tendency to draw in crowds regularly.

Our website noted that the band has amassed over 600 million streams, with Abby Sage as the supporting act. Independent music is so vital to communities due to the fact that, with the advent of streaming, musical access is arguably ubiquitous. “SOS,” their video-accompanied latest single, has approximately 38,000 YouTube clicks. The song resembles a Sofia Coppola or Quentin Tarantino soundtrack: ambient and gritty.

“Any day with an opportunity to rock is a gift,” echoed down my greenroom hallway from Sage’s bass player. Armed with a north-pawed Hofner-branded instrument, we made conversation over tour drives, instrument access, and geographical origin. After their wonderfully timed opening slot, both compositionally and in overall stage presence, London’s Jadu Heart rolled toward the hallway’s end. With six studio albums, they marched up the ramp and took the Amsterdam stage, 9 p.m. sharp. More than 10 songs later, they finished the encore set. “8 x 8 Endless,” from 2023’s Derealised, was arranged in medley form and interpolated “U” from the extended play released the following year. Punctuality is very rock ’n’ roll.