Review: OF THE ORCHARD at 7th St Entry

It was freezing on January 22. Not “kind of cold,” but the kind of Minneapolis cold that makes you rethink your plans. Still, people showed up. And once everyone packed into 7th Entry—that small room tucked under First Avenue—it didn’t take long for the cold to fade into the background.

After sets from OISTER BOY and Stock Market Cinema, Of The Orchard came out to a packed floor for their EP release show. The band—Lewis Wethall, Ben Vanden Boogard, Alec Thicke, and Andrew Weber—hadn’t put out new music in a couple of years, but nothing about the set felt rusty. If anything, it felt like a reset.

The band’s gone through some changes since their last release, including losing a lead guitarist and reshuffling who plays what. Live, though, you wouldn’t know it. The songs landed clean, the transitions were smooth, and there was a relaxed confidence in how they played. It felt less like a comeback and more like a band settling into a new version of itself.

The newer songs stood out right away. “Holiday Getaway” and “Good Good Feeling” were especially effective—bright, catchy, and easy to latch onto, even if you hadn’t heard them before. Dropping summer-leaning pop-rock songs in the middle of January could’ve felt weird, but instead it worked. The room needed it.

They mixed those tracks in with older material and gave the set some shape, letting things slow down briefly before picking the pace back up. A cover of Rise Against’s “Prayer of the Refugee” was a surprise highlight—loud, direct, and well-received in a room full of people who clearly grew up on that song.

When the band wrapped up their main set, the crowd wasn’t ready to call it. They came back out and closed the night with a cover of Fall Out Boy’s “Sugar, We’re Goin Down,” turning the room into one big sing-along. No overthinking it—just a fun way to end the night.

For how cold it was outside, 7th Entry felt unusually warm. More than anything, the show felt like a fresh start for Of The Orchard. Whatever comes next for Lewis, Ben, Alec, and Andrew, this set made it clear they’re back, comfortable, and moving forward together.

Thank you for a wonderful night of music! 

For more information on Of the Orchard, please click here.