Deep Sea Diver at the Current Happy Hours (May 29, 2025)
The Current kicked off its Happy Hour series for 2025 at Nine Mile Brewing Company in Bloomington. Jill Riley, morning DJ on the Current, played host and laid down some sweet tunes to an appreciative crowd from 4:00 to 6:00. The rain may have scattered folks for a bit, but it cleared in plenty of time for the crowd to reassemble in anticipation of Deep Sea Diver’s performance. How lucky are those of us that live in the Twin Cities that we get to see an artist of the caliber of Jessica Dobson in a small setting like this?
- Emergency
- What Do I Know
- Always Waving Goodbye
- Billboard Heart
- Be Sweet
- Shovel
- Impossible Weight
- Happiness Is Not A Given
Tour Dates
- Jun 19, 2025 The Blue Basement London, UK
- Jun 20, 2025 The Blue Basement London, England
- Jun 22, 2025 Royal Albert Hall London, UK
- Jun 23, 2025 La Cigale Paris, France
- Jul 8, 2025 Aggie Theatre Fort Collins, CO
- Jul 10, 2025 recordBar Kansas City, MO
- Jul 11, 2025 Resonant Head Oklahoma City, OK
- Jul 12, 2025 Tulips Fort Worth, TX
- Jul 13, 2025 Antone’s Nightclub Austin, TX
- Jul 16, 2025 The EARL Atlanta, GA
- Jul 17, 2025 The Blue Room Nashville, TN
- Jul 18, 2025 Eulogy at Burial Beer Co. Asheville, NC
- Jul 19, 2025 Motorco Music Hall Durham, NC
- Jul 22, 2025 Johnny Brenda’s Philadelphia, PA
- Jul 24, 2025 Grog Shop Cleveland Heights, OH
- Jul 25, 2025 A&R Music Bar Columbus, OH
- Jul 27, 2025 xBk Live Des Moines, IA
- Jul 30, 2025 Shrine Social Club (Basement) Boise, ID
- Aug 2, 2025 THING Festival Carnation, WA
- Sep 26, 2025 Ohana Fest Dana Point, CA
- Nov 3, 2025 Blue Shell Cologne, Germany
- Nov 4, 2025 LARK Berlin, Germany
- Nov 6, 2025 Pitchfork Music Fesitval Paris, France
- Nov 7, 2025 Le Botanique Bruxelles Brussels, Brussels
- Nov 8, 2025 Pitchfork Music Festival London, UK
- Nov 10, 2025 Hare & Hounds Birmingham, UK
- Nov 11, 2025 YES Manchester, UK
- Nov 12, 2025 The Louisiana Bristol, UK
- Nov 13, 2025 Belgrave Music Hall Leeds, UK
- Nov 14, 2025 Hope and Ruin Brighton, UK
The Current kicked off its Happy Hour series for 2025 at Nine Mile Brewing Company in Bloomington. Jill Riley, morning DJ on the Current, played host and laid down some sweet tunes to an appreciative crowd from 4:00 to 6:00. The rain may have scattered folks for a bit, but it cleared in plenty of time for the crowd to reassemble in anticipation of Deep Sea Diver’s performance. How lucky are those of us that live in the Twin Cities that we get to see an artist of the caliber of Jessica Dobson in a small setting like this?
Jessica (lead vocals and guitar) along with the band’s newest member, Kristyn Chapman (backing vocals, guitar and keyboard), were the representatives of Deep Sea Diver for this show and represent their band they did. They played a tight, 40-minute, 8-song set focused on their 2025 (February 18th) release, Billboard Heart (Subpop). They kicked things off with “Emergency”, a guitar forward Sleater Kinney-esqe gem that reminded us that Jessica has some pipes, which sound wonderful live. “What Do I Know”, a song that might qualify as pop, but with a DSD bent, and “Always Waving Goodbye” followed. The title track “Billboard Heart”, which starts off slow and sweet, focusing on Jessica’s voice, adds layers as it builds but keeps the sweetness throughout. “Be Sweet” a slow pleading love song is beautiful to hear and even more so when you understand the lyrics. “Shovel”, one of the singles from Billboard Heart has a chorus that really hits in me in my brain’s heart. If you know what I mean by that then you know what I’m talking about; it also has a Kate Bush vibe in my opinion. The one song they played that was not from Billboard Heart, was the title track off of their 2020 album Impossible Weight, which features Sharon Van Etten on the album. Kristyn filled in for Sharon and held her own. The last song of the show is also the last song on the album, “Happiness Is Not a Given”. Jessica took to the keyboards for this one and told the engineer to make it ethereal. And let me tell you, my friend, it was ethereal, ethereal and soulful.
After the show both Jessica and Kristyn were generous with their time talking and taking pictures with folks from the audience, a mix of friends from the “scene” and adoring fans. I had the opportunity to talk to Kristyn first. She hails from Wichita, KS but relocated to Evanston, IL, where she met the band towards the end of last year when opening for with them in Evanston with her band Morpho. The membership became formal in February and she has been on the road with DSD in support of their Billboard Heart tour since then. Jessica and I spent most of our time talking musical influences and favorite concert venues. First Ave is high on the list (hint hint First Ave, let’s get them on stage when they come through next) I was initially surprised when she listed Radiohead, The Clash, The Smiths and Echo and The Bunnymen as influences figuring the Riot Grrrl scene of the Pacific Northwest would top the list. She let me know, though, that she is from LA and relocated to Seattle only 12 years ago.
When I asked her why she was in Minneapolis (Bloomington) doing this show when they had just been at the Turf Club a month ago, she pointed to the Current tent and said something to the effect of “when the Current calls and invites you to play, you say yes”. Thanks the Current; well done. Up next for Deep Sea Diver is a late June foray to London, where they will be playing at the Royal Albert Hall (amazing!) among other stops, and a single show in Paris. Then it’s back to the States to finish off the summer. Jessica promised they would be back to the Twin Cities and was going to manifest a show at First Ave (hint hint First Ave, let’s make this happen).
Shout out to Nine Mile for hosting, having a great space and some good beer. As Jessica let the crowd know, their West Coast IPA is “on point”! I wouldn’t know because I would sooner drink hot ham water than any IPA. Yeah, I said it.
