Berk Rosenwald
Nov 7, 2026
Fresh off their debut album, If You Insist, the Baton Rouge indie-rock outfit brought their Southern roots, garage-rock influences, and growing catalog of fan favorites to Minneapolis’ Fine Line.
The Bends came up through Baton Rouge house shows and LSU bar nights, and on a Wednesday night at Fine Line, they carried that southern heat all the way north.
I had come to know their sound last year during a short tour stint where they played shows in New York City, Philadelphia, and Cambridge. I had been traveling on assignment with their openers at the time, a band by the name of Morrissey Blvd. Since last seeing them play, it is safe to say that The Bends have come into their own, hot on the heels of a debut album, sounding like they should be headlining stadiums by this time next year.
The Braymores, who made their way up from Chicago, warmed the room first. Then, The Bends burst open with "On a Roll," "The Fence," and "Virginia," three songs stacked tight enough that the set felt less like a beginning than a door kicked open mid-party. Hayden Field sings with effortless projection, and Ian Marmande's guitar complements his vocals to no end.
Then "Smoking in Bed" played, which was the single that got them onto alternative radio before jumping into tracks from If You Insist. Notably, “Seasons Change” made an appearance in the setlist, which sucked the air out of the room. The sparse guitar paired with Field’s vocals mixes to form a Coldplay-esque, emotion-wrenching track. The maturity and the songwriting ability are incredible.
They also played “Dance Away,” which has incredibly tight bass lines, infectious guitar, and a vocal edge that has brought the pendulum of their sound back to having some edge. I will give extra points to Fields’ semi-awkward, yet lovable stage presence. His crowd work is nothing short of impeccable in between songs.
You can clearly see their inspirations shine through a mix between Is This It-era Strokes and Kings of Leon before the arenas. In fact, “Use Somebody” had been a staple in their setlist this time last year—before the 780k monthly listeners piled up on Spotify. The Bends wear the early-2000s garage revival openly. What they add is a Southern looseness. Chase Perkins on bass and Jacob Rhodes on the kit reign in this looseness and keep each song on track like a steady train.
The encore was "Fair Weather," then "Makeup," the 2024 single that started all of this, back when The Bends was still a campus rumor.They have come a long way since those days.