By Jared Gudnason 

Writer/Reporter 

Minneapolis’ Utepils Brewing is definitely not an ideal destination, specifically by public transit. With my transit pass from Metro State, I hopped a bus to downtown Saint Paul and then hopped on the interstate 94 express bus. Which, by the way, is way faster than the green line. The brewery is nestled in the heart of North Minneapolis, and it was a multi-transfer commute.  

Transportation aside, it was a wonderful late afternoon of music, Utepils even made a celebratory ale for the occasion, the release weekend of superb Minneapolis shoegaze band She’s Green (stylized in all lowercase), for their new record entitled “Swallowtail.”   

The opening act, whose name I unfortunately missed, was a solo project consisting of vocals, guitar, and a synthesizer/drum machine. She’s Green was slated to go on around 5:30pm but was pushed closer to six as the back patio filled up, eventually to about a total of 150.  In my humble opinion it can be very tricky to sound good in outdoor and/or open-air environments, but because of the professionals they are, She’s Green blew us away. They recently returned from a tour with the bands Turnover and Narrow Head. 

Singer Zofia Smith announced that “Swallowtail,” was one of the most intense but rewarding processes for the band to go through, and it’s evident through the recordings. Along with their 2023 vinyl EP “Wisteria,” the new release is a double vinyl LP, and no small amount of people waited in line to get their hands on a copy.  

Released by NYC label Photo Finish Records, the second vinyl record included is 2025’s “Chrysalis.” Aside from this show and their recent tour, they played a series of shows in Los Angeles, Chicago, and NYC for the Slide Away festival, named for the Oasis song, with fellow shoegaze bands Nothing from Philadelphia, and the legendary Hum from Illinois, arguably best-known for their 1995 song “Stars.” I am looking forward to the future of She’s Green very much.