Girls in Stereo dazzle the Big Dipper on Thursday night

At 7:30 p.m. Thursday, the sun began to dip below the city skyline as a crowd of teens and adults filed through the entrance to the Big Dipper.

Painted with a mural, the brick exterior of the small bar and live music venue on the corner of Washington Street and Second Avenue seemed unassuming until a flow of voices and pulsing, electronic music drifted just outside.

In the blackout-curtained window, a band poster in grunge, capital lettering featured a monochrome collage of lead singers for Tomboy, The Alpines and Millergold – the trio performing under the concert title Girls in Stereo.

The poster’s description invoked anticipation: “Three female-fronted bands take over Spokane for a night of raw emotion, towering guitars, and cathartic indie rock.”

A wave of warmth, animated chatter and colorful light enveloped the room upon entry, electrifying the atmosphere with energy.

The room’s layout felt spacious despite its modest size and the roughly 100 concert enthusiasts occupying it.

The venue’s stained wood floors and brightly painted walls employ a whimsical art deco style. Rainbow Christmas lights weave eclectically through the rafters above the mosh pit facing the stage.

The mosh pit was sparsely occupied until Bri McCall of Salt Lake City-based The Alpines walked on stage – a cheer broke out, followed by the upbeat electric guitar chords of the band’s opening song as McCall’s voice carried throughout the room.

“How we doing, Spokane?” she called.

Cheers gave way to laughter as McCall joked, “I’m not gonna lie, I was driving downtown and I was, like, is this town doing OK?”

Sporting a Millergold T-shirt, McCall’s performance was steeped in emotion and intensity, her expressions and movement dynamic.

McCall prefaced the band’s performance of their 2024 song “Nervous Habits” with the lyrics’ significance to her as a high school special education teacher.

To follow The Alpines was Millergold from Ephrata, Washington.

Lead singer Bailey Elliot drew all attention in the room as she filled center stage with a bold presence.

She introduced the band’s art as “grief rock,” denoting themes of loss, healing and independence in her blunt, resonating lyrics.

Elliot’s robust vibrato and excellent vocal control took command of the space instantly, and those at the front of the stage headbanged passionately along with her during electric guitar solos.

After Millergold, lead singer Erin Parkes walked onstage with Spokane -based band Tomboy to end the night on a playful and eccentric note.

Parkes opened by inviting the audience closer to the stage .

The band’s charm quickly had the crowd swaying as Parkes’ warm, well-rounded vocals complemented her electric guitarist’s upbeat trills.

Tomboy’s inviting presence gave an air of community and resolution to the venue as the band closed out under a vibrant flash of overhead lights.

The Big Dipper offers Spokane a friendly, engaging environment that exudes history and art. On Thursday night, concertgoers to Girls in Stereo reveled in it.