The 7th St Entry was an oasis for Ber fans Friday night during her sold-out homecoming show for her Halfway Across America Tour. Not even an impending blizzard could stop her fans. After all, Ber reminds us that Minnesota has seasons.

The singer-songwriter, originally from Bemidji and now a St. Paul resident, blew up on TikTok and Spotify with her song “Meant to Be.” Many listeners relate to the lyrics, “We were meant to be, just not made to last.” The perfect sentiment for her indie, experimental and acoustic sound that covers being lonely, young, unsure of what the future holds, and of course, heartbroken.

See also: Meet Ber, a Minnesota singer-songwriter melting hearts this spring

Ber played her first shows at South by Southwest in the spring of 2022 and since then has opened for both Sigrid and Tom Odell. Fans praise Ber for her relatable lyrics and how they feel seen on a deep, interpersonal level through her music. Ber’s music also has local references and feel, which made her first time headlining in Minneapolis that much more special.

Throughout the show, both Ber and audience members said that these songs resonate and relate to Minnesotans more than any other group. The idea is that there is a collective coming-of-age type struggle of being in Minnesota during the winter. It’s about figuring out not only what to do with your life but how to navigate the things that are thrown at you.

“I really like how she portrays emotion in her songs,” Calder, one of the hometown fans from Bemidji said before the show. “It's different from other artists and it's very relatable.”

Ber was charismatic from the second she walked onto the stage in a splatter-painted denim jacket and jeans. She began with a high-energy “Boys Who Kiss You in Their Car.” The audience went wild. The front row attendees screamed and sang every lyric throughout the song — and for the rest of the show. After the song, Ber said, “It’s good to be home!”

And that’s what 7th Street felt like. Home for the local music lovers, Ber “stans,” and a group of newly made best friends all relating to the same song despite having different lived experiences.

She interacted with the crowd in an intimate way. Suddenly everyone in the room was her closest friend and we were all there to joke around. There was no such thing as oversharing and that was what was so real about the show.

Before “Feels So Easy,” she told the audience that she went on a lot of Hinge dates, and laughed about how much she was opening up to a room full of strangers. Needless to say, judging by the lyrics on two EPs of Ber songs, some dates didn’t end well.

“Let’s be real, the Twin Cities Hinge pool is not it!” Ber said before the song, to which the crowd responded with the classic jokes of what you find on dating apps in Minnesota and Ber looking at someone’s Hinge in the front row. She, of course, said her new best friend in the audience could do way better and encouraged her to delete the app, a common response for a best friend to have in 2023.

She did say “Feels So Easy” is about a date she had at Powderhorn Park in Minneapolis, which was the only good Hinge date she’s had.

“I just like how she incorporates Minnesota into her songs,” Eliott, a hometown St. Paul fan said. “Like in ‘Superspreader’ she talks about Minnesota having seasons.”

“Superspreader” is also what Ber called “the Minnesota sad anthem,” and the crowd agreed. She also told the crowd that her song “Same Effect” was about a breakup. While she was working through those feelings, the song became a thank-you song for her best friend.

Throughout the show, Ber was genuinely grateful, thanking the audience for being there multiple times — including people joining in with their jokes who made the whole experience interactive. She also joked with her two bandmates, showing a kinship between the three. Plus, she was dancing on stage like it was the happiest night of her life.

“You guys make me feel less alone through these songs,” she said. “I hope they do the same for you.”

After Ber brought back her opener Max Leone to sing a cover duet of “Hot and Cold” by Katy Perry, he gave her a jar of pickles and a card. While speechless and touched, Ber said, “Max Leone just gave me pickles! That doesn’t happen to people from Minnesota.”

She also played “Meant to Be” and “Slutphase,” among other highlights from her EPs, during her homecoming concert. The night introduced her to 250 of her new closest friends, many from Minnesota and others transplants to the state.

“I just gotta say, I feel like this girl is gonna be big,” Elliot said. “I feel like in three, four years she might be the next Olivia Rodrigo. If more people knew about Ber, they’d be a fan.”

Ber & Max Leone

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Setlist

Boys who kiss you in their cars 

I’m not in love 

Bad for me 

Feels so easy 

Superspreader 

Halfway 

Same effect 

Your internet sucks 

Hot and Cold (Katy Perry) 

Over you 

Meant to be 

Dead dear (deer) 

Slutphase