The Home Team at the Varsity Theater (November 29, 2025)

Dinkytown was not an easy place to get around on Saturday night.  I left early due to the falling snow, but I didn’t account that many Gopher football fans would still be celebrating their victory over the Wisconsin Badgers well into the evening.  The streets were packed with snow and traffic as I sat through eight cycles of traffic lights at 15th Ave and 5th St.  

By the time I found parking at 7th St and 11th Ave, I had a half hour before the opening act.  Still I hadn’t planned on running into a trio of  guys play-fighting over a case of MGD.  The slippery nature of the sidewalks and their insulated coats made them look like lumbering walruses.  I told them I had no interest in the domestic beer and they let me pass before continuing with their rumble. 

The Varsity Theater was a much friendlier environment.  In fact, the headliner of the evening invited a local band to warm up the crowd that was already at capacity. I think the band was called SIFYN, but I could be wrong.  They were  actually wrapping things up when I entered the main room.  

As a side note, it’s always cool to receive an official tour photo pass as opposed to the generic one usually handed out by the venue.  The official tour pass I was provided not only had the headliner’s name, but also the two opening acts.  And as the evening progressed, it became clear as to why they were added. 

Makari took the stage and got right out of the gate with “Transient.”  They are from Orlando, FL and are a solid rock band with Andy Cizek on vocals, Matt Beljan and Eric Stewart on guitar, John Tomasso on bass and Kevin Beljan on drums.  Their name means “poet” or “bard” in Gaelic and they are supporting their latest album Wave Machine.  

I wasn’t the only one having trouble getting to the venue. Andy said that they barely reached the venue on time for their trailer hitch broke in the middle of a blizzard.  But they didn’t show any weariness and kept things rocking with all their equipment intact. They even played a new song “Disappearing Act” before the ballad like “And Now We Sleep in Endless Ocean.”  They then finished with a fan favorite “Eternity Leave” which had many in the audience singing along.  

Arrows in Action next took the stage with a “Hey-ooooh” and “Check! Check!” before rumbling their guitars through the main speakers.  What I thought was a pretty funny beginning was actually a super-quick soundcheck. 

They then went backstage and announced through the main speakers that they had some bad and good news.  The bad news was that the crowd would still have to wait for the headliner.  The good news was that they were about to take the stage.

Arrows in Action is a trio from Gainesville, FL, consisting of Victor Viramontes-Pattison  on lead vocals and guitar, Matthew Fowler on guitar and Jesse Frimmel on drums.  They are supporting their latest album I Think I’ve Been Here Before, which had an unusual release with Side A being issued on May 16 and Side B on September 19.  The reason?  The first has bright songs and the second has darker themes.  

They started off with “Empty Canvas” before moving on with “Hello Sunlight” which ironically was written in the middle of a snowstorm. Then they asked if anyone had brought a Labubu to the show with them.  There were a couple people and one of them happened to be Matthew, as one hung from his guitar.  

Jesse then stepped out from the drums to say how he needed to talk about the headliner and their lead singer, more accurately the lead singer’s sexy dance that is taking over TikTok. 

Jesse then talked about how they were on a prior tour with the headliner in 2019, a tour hardly attended. In Jacksonville, FL they didn’t even sell one ticket and ended up playing for each other.  And what they discovered that night was how much they liked playing with and for each other. 

Arrows in Action continued their set with a sappy (their word) song “Head in the Clouds” and a sexy song “Corner of Your Mind.” Then they played the anthem-like “All The Ways I Could Die” which was a crowd favorite until they finished with the popular “Cheekbones.”

The Home Team then took the stage and kicked everything into overdrive with “Turn You Off” and “Overtime”  from their latest album The Crucible of Life.  Then they played a crowd favorite “Right Through Me.”  

The Home Team is from Seattle and they play a heavy pop sound due to some of their band members coming from a heavy metal background, they being Daniel Matson on drums and John Baran on guitar.

Daniel and John were joined on stage by Ryne Olson on bass and Brian Butcher on lead vocals.

I could see where some would see Brian’s dance as sexy.  To me it looked like he was either surfing the mellowest wave or riding the laziest horse.  What was apparent was he and his fellow band members were having a blast.  Brian also talked about the prior tour with Arrows in Action and how much fun they had together even though no one came to their shows.  And when it came to headlining their first tour, there was no doubt who would open for them.  What they didn’t know at that moment was how the tour would go on to sell out across the nation.

There were plenty of positive vibes throughout their set with songs like “Roommates” and “Honest.”  And by the time that they launched into “Love & Co.” I looked over to my left and saw the sound tech dancing and waving his right hand in the air while quickly adjusting subwoofer levels.  

A sound tech. In the middle of a grinding tour. Dancing like a fan. 

As the set continued, The Home Team invited members from all three opening bands to come on stage to sing a verse or play a solo, creating an Esprit de corps, which led to the question: who was having more fun?  The fans or the bands?

I’m going with the sound technician. 

Fun Fact:  The Home Team has a special Australian merch page on their website, which shows that a band with the name The Home Team can still play well on the road.  

Another Fun Fact:  Even though his last name is Butcher, Brian is an avowed vegan and had people handing out pamphlets “Going Vegan” after the show.