22 June 13 - 19, 2024 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Manifesting Magic Dallas band Amethyst Michelle is ‘just delusional enough.’ BY CARLY MAY GRAVLEY A methyst Michelle is going to headline Madison Square Garden. No, the Dallas-based indie and alternative rock band is not currently booked to play at the legendary New York arena. But the lead singer (also named Amethyst Michelle) proclaims her intentions with such certainty that you’re inclined to just take her word for it. “It’s really arrogant to say it’s definitely gonna happen,” Michelle says. “But you also have to believe in yourself, so we kind of play around with that fine line [...] I think we are just delusional enough to believe that we can.” The band, with Tanner Jay Kogel on gui- tar, Patrick Kennedy on bass and Christian Minth on drums, has no reason to doubt its trajectory. Amethyst Michelle’s musical styl- ings, stage presence and connection to its growing fanbase makes the local band feel larger than life. It’s capable of bringing the energy of arena rock shows to small rooms. The group’s most recent milestone was performing at the So What?! Music Festival in Fort Worth, a gig they earned by winning the festival’s Battle of the Bands. “That milestone belongs to our fans and our friends and those familiar faces,” Mi- chelle says of the band’s victory. “Seeing the community rally behind us to get us to a spot where we’re literally opening for like, Skillet and Switchfoot and P.O.D.? Nothing cooler has ever happened.” “I’ve noticed that at the past couple of our shows, I’ve started to see people return- ing and wearing our merch,” Kogel says of the growing fanbase. “It’s really cool to see people wearing a shirt of something we made and put our whole selves into.” You can tell from watching the band that the members put their whole selves into their performance, no matter the conditions. A gig last spring at New New Fest saw them just out- side of Henry’s Majestic on the bare outdoor ground, with no barrier between the band and the dirt. Michelle leaned into the setting, kick- ing up clouds of dust during every song. The dirt quickly felt like a part of the show, almost as if they had planned it that way. “It was fun to perform in the dirt,” she says. “But I ruined my tights and I had to go home and brush dirt out of my teeth. That was really gross. But honestly, we went to the [So What?!] festival yesterday and also got covered in dirt. I think it’s just part of the outdoor moment.” “I’m always finding a bunch of rocks in the soles of my shoes,” says Kogel. “I actu- ally saved the rocks from our show with Fly- leaf, and I’ve saved all the rocks that are stuck in my shoe since then.” Amethyst Michelle will be hitting the road this summer as an opener for Lacey Sturm, the lead singer of Flyleaf. “It’s massively scary, but so exciting,” Mi- chelle says of this opportunity. Both of these feelings can be hard in her voice. “We are doing everything we can to prepare for it. It’s a constant topic between the band. We’re just freaking hyped. We can’t wait to experi- ence life on the road.” This is the band’s first time on the road but not its first experience with Sturm. As Kogel alluded to earlier, the group previ- ously opened for Flyleaf at an intimate hometown show in Belton in April 2023. It was their fourth performance as a band. “There’s a little bit of lore with it, actually,” Michelle says of how that came to be. “My dad worked with Flyleaf when I was a little kid. So as a kid, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s what it means to be a musician is to be Flyleaf.’” According to Michelle, her band’s inclu- sion was more of a “nostalgia factor” than anything else. “It was mostly friends, families and like, old connections,” she says. “A lot of the peo- ple that were invited were people that Lacey used to babysit for or things like that. [...] They performed at her first-ever job, which was Schoeps BBQ in Belton.” Since that auspicious early gig, the band has found a community they’re proud to be a part of in the Dallas music scene. It’s what they’ll miss most of all while they’re on the road. “I think it’s gonna be really hard while we’re on tour to not be around the consistent faces and consistent friends that we’ve made at so many of our shows,” Michelle says. “I’ll miss seeing those familiar faces com- ing back, but I think it’s an opportunity to get our name out there and meet new peo- ple,” Kogel adds. Before they hit the road at the end of June, Amethyst Michelle has some unfinished business to take care of in Dallas. They’ll be celebrating the release of their debut EP, Through the Tears, at Deep Ellum Art Co. on June 22, alongside their friends and fellow artists Almost A.M., Nygma and Penny Bored. “We’re finally putting out all of our music and it’s really exciting,” Michelle says. “We’re hoping to see all of our friends and family one last time before we hit the road.” “Our bottom line is always, ‘We don’t be- long here, but we do belong together,’” Kogel says. “It just feels like such a little family. Not just the people in the band, but the people around us. I think the sense of belonging and home that we have with each other is the most important thing to us.” Amethyst Michelle’s Through the Tears release party will take place at Deep Ellum Art Co. on June 22. Tickets are on sale start- ing at $10 on Prekindle. Luke Esper Dallas Band Amethyst Michelle Is ‘Just Delusional Enough’ ▼ Music www.dallasobserver.com/signup go to WEEKLY EMAIL D SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY EMAIL LIST for feature stories, movie reviews, calendar picks and more!
