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Machine Gun Kelly at the Xcel Center (7/28/2022)

Machine Gun Kelly Setlist born with horns god save me maybe mainstream sellout drunk face ay! Bois Lie (Avril Lavigne cover) with Avril Lavigne more than life die in california Floor 13 papercuts title track bloody valentine roll the windows up El Diablo WWIII WW4 emo girl forget me too lonely I Think I'm OKAY make up sex my ex's best friend twin flame Avril Lavigne Setlist Girlfriend Bite Me What the Hell Complicated My Happy Ending Sk8er Boi Love It When You Hate Me Tour Dates Sun Jul 31 – Montreal, QC – Osheaga Tue Aug 2 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena”# Thu Aug 4 – Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center”# Sat Aug 6 – Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre”# Sun Aug 7 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena”# Tue Aug 9 – Des Moines, IA – Wells Fargo Arena”# Wed Aug 10 – St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center”# Thu Aug 11 – Indianapolis, IN – Ruoff Music Center”# Sat Aug 13 – Cleveland, OH – FirstEnergy Stadium*”$#’ *With support from Avril Lavigne ”With support from Travis Barker $With support from Trippie Redd #With support from WILLOW ’With support from 44phantom Read More Machine Gun Kelly Opening act Machine Gun Kelly surprised the audience by bringing up hot hip-hop trio Migos mid-set, playing an hour-long set alternating between slicing verse and shredding guitar. … Avril Lavigne “Complicated” skate-punk Canadian singer Avril Lavigne will be on a rare tour to promote her new album Head Above Water. ... WILLOW WILLOW will warm up the show. WILLOW’s new single “ it’s my fault” is taken from her forthcoming album. Already she’s released a series of collaboration singles, including Yungblud with “Memories” and Siiickbrain with “Purge.” ...

Machine Gun Kelly and his Mainstream Sellout tour pulled into St. Paul Thursday night with opening acts, Willow Smith and Avril Lavigne.  But first, some grilling, which seemed a perfect activity for a summer evening.  At least that’s what it looked like when I sloped up the hill to the music venue and saw fans peering from across the street to catch glimpses of any band member standing around the Webber grill placed in front of the doors of Xcel Center’s underground parking.

It was a full crowd of 14,000 and they greeted Willow Smith with a welcoming roar.   She kicked off her brief, but lively set with the muscular “Transparentsoul”, wearing a multi-colored ski cap aka toque, as if she was ready if an early winter to set in. 

Willow’s musical arc, which sprang to life with the platinum pop single “Whip My Hair” at age ten, seems pointed towards a more punkish vibe as she enters her twenties. 

Promoting her latest album Lately I Feel Everything, Willow highlighted “Gaslight” and “Don’t Save Me.”  A blues undertow could be felt when she wailed through “Come Home.”  She can also shred the axe, which would be nice to see as she expands her musical palate.

Avril Lavigne was up next, promoting her latest album, Love Sux.  Twenty years has passed since she released her debut album Let Go, letting punk scene know there was now a queen.   Twenty years may have gone by, but the spirit of that seventeen year-old is still there.

Lavigne started the set with “Girlfriend” as black and white confetti shot into the crowd.  She had an enthusiastic base in attendance, many who took the opportunity to be her backup singers on songs like “Sk8er Boi” and “Complicated.” 

It wasn’t difficult to parse Lavigne’s views on love with songs like “Bite Me” and “F.U.”  Even the set had the feel of a doomed prom with black balloons and a deep orange back drop with her name encircled with a black heart.  Still, she ended on a hopeful note with her last song “I’m With You” as everyone took their phones to light up the arena like fireflies.

Machine Gun Kelly’s helicopter

Machine Gun Kelly (MGK) made a dramatic entrance to “Born with Horns”, maybe the only concert musician to be airlifted to the stage by helicopter.  It was a cinematic entrance as he landed with fog rolling down the sloped stage and into the crowd. 

The spectacle did not end there.  There were fireworks, flamethrowers and multiple monitors placed throughout the stage.  Also, a mic stand in the shape of two elegantly long arms stretching to hands to hold MGK’s mic and an ashtray as he smoked more than Frank Sinatra at the Sand’s.  

Three guitarists lead the highly charged music most of the evening:  MGK in the middle, Justin Lyons to his left and Sophie Lloyd on the right, all of them taking turns to fill the arena with a howling guitar solos.  

MGK may have gotten his start and nickname with his blistering hip-hop lyrics, but the evening was mostly filled with full-tilt rock songs like “Jawbreaker”, “Die in California”, Bloody Valentine” and “Drunk Face”.  It was a fast-paced show except when MGK ripped his pants and had to do an impromptu costume change. 

MGK also brought his opening acts back on stage with Lavigne singing “Bois Lie” and Willow “Emo Girl.”

For being so young, MGK seemed quite wistful saying the St. Paul crowd was by far the largest on tour and how far he had traveled since his first show in the Twin Cities in 2011.  It was a great night, he said, for his mom was in attendance and they got to barbecue before the show.  And as the evening ended just before the electric company pulled the plug, he thanked the crowd and lingered as the rest of the band filtered off stage.  And as he lingered, he scanned the crowd until he found who he was looking for.  He smiled, waved and pointed for two women to move past security and head backstage. 

They were two silver-haired foxes, probably one of them he calls mom.

dave ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Lorde / Run the Jewels / Tove Styrke at Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul (23 March 2018)

Lorde at Xcel Energy Lorde Setlist Sober Homemade Dynamite Tennis Court Magnets (Disclosure cover) Buzzcut Season 400 Lux Ribs The Louvre Hard Feelings Yellow Flicker Beat I Would Die 4 U (Prince cover snippet)> Writer in the Dark Hang With Me (Robyn cover) with Tove Styrke Liability Sober II (Melodrama) Supercut Royals Perfect Places Green Light -- Encore -- Loveless > Precious Metals Team Run The Jewels Setlist     intro: We Are the Champions (Queen cover) Run the Jewels Legend Has It Call Ticketron Blockbuster Night Part 1 Oh My Darling Don't Cry Stay Gold Don't Get Captured Nobody Speak (DJ Shadow cover) Close Your Eyes (And Count to F**k) 2100 with Boots A Report to the Shareholders Thursday in the Danger Room Down Tove Styrke Setlist Borderline Mistakes On the Low Liability (2017 demo, Lorde cover) Sway Changed My Mind Say My Mind Tour Dates 03/24/2018 Lincoln, NE Pinnacle Bank Arena 03/25/2018 Des Moines, IA Wells Fargo Arena 03/27/2018 Rosemont, IL Allstate Arena 03/28/2018 Detroit, MI Little Caesars Arena 03/29/2018 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre 04/02/2018 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center 04/03/2018 Boston, MA TD Garden 04/04/2018 Brooklyn, NY Barclays Center 04/06/2018 Newark, NJ Prudential Center 04/07/2018 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena 04/08/2018 Washington, DC The Anthem 04/12/2018 Miami, FL AmericanAirlines Arena 04/14/2018 Duluth, GA Infinite Energy Center 04/15/2018 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena 05/26/2018 All Points East Festival 05/29/2018 St. Petersburg, Ledoviy Dvorets 05/31/2018 Moscow, Russia Crocus City Hall 06/02/2018 Primavera Sound 06/07/2018 NOS Primavera Sound 07/13/2018 Festival D'été de Québec Read More Lorde One of the biggest pop singer Lorde is headlining the Xcel Energy Center on Friday. Hot hip hop band Run The Jewel will open. … Run the Jewels Megahot rapper/producer duo Run The Jewels' long sold out show at First Avenue is taking place next Friday (October 23rd). Expect to hear some preview from their highly anticipated Run ... Tove Styrke If you show up really early, you’ll get a chance to check out Swedish recording artist Tove Styrke. Styrke’s forthcoming album Sway is due on May 4th ….

While not much actual melodrama occurred, there were years of built up anticipation and being a Friday night, a lot of dancing-

New Zealand artist Lorde finally made her Twin Cities area live debut as the Melodrama Tour made a stop in front of over 9,000 people at the Xcel Energy Center in downtown St. Paul. 

The  good thing about this three-act evening was that the early arrivers were awarded with a short but entertaining performance by Swedish dance pop artist Tove Styrke, in support of latest full-length, Sway (RCA/ Sony Records) while the bad news (for other cities) is that this would be her last appearance on the tour. 

Beats and music were minimalistic, though songs like ‘Mistakes’ were undeniably catchy with Styrke even covering the headliner, on her version of Lorde’s ‘Liability;’ calling it “one of my favorite songs in the world” and done mid-set.  “This is a dream come true for me” Styrke gushed, happy that so many had shown up early, swaying in their seats for ‘Change my Mind’ and singing “up, up, up, up” along with Styrke on her closing song about an instant crush, ‘Say My Name’. 

The mood then completely turned harder and darker as hip-hop duo Run the Jewels took the stage for their forty-five minute set, beginning with the not-so-humble intro music of ‘We are the Champions’. “Shouts out to Kirby Puckett- we’re gonna burn this… place to the ground!” Killer Mike decreed, he and rapper/producer El-P stalked the stage as DJ Trackstar worked the ones and twos, beginning with their eponymously-named theme song. 

‘Legend Has It’ from the group’s latest, Run the Jewels 3 (self-released) was played early on, and familiar to many from its use in the Black Panther trailer. “To the parents that brought your children, we’d like to formally apologize’, El-P joked to the soccer mom chaperones, maybe a little put off by the language and lyrical themes, while the rest of the crowd cheered “R-T-J!” as he promised a “blockbuster night” before playing the song of the same name. 

The stage was then laid mostly bare as lights dimmed and the intro music of Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up that Hill’ signaled the arrival of Lorde and her dancers for a hundred-minute headlining set in support of second full-length Melodrama (Lava/Republic Records), managing to work in every song from the new record, as well as several older favorites. 

The intro music was appropriate, as the first part of the show resembled a Kate Bush performance, with leotard-clad dancers expressively interpreting the songs through movement both inside and outside of the so-called “terrarium”, a clear-walled shipping container-sized box which rose from the floor and would elevate and swing in the air with cabled support. 

Her trio of backing musicians literally stayed in the shadows for the show, with the artist shedding her flowing coat early, even using the inside of the terrarium for a quick wardrobe change, instead of ducking backstage. “I’ve never been to your part of the world before… there is already such a good vibe in this room.” Before 2013 hit, ‘Tennis Court’ the twenty-one year old born Ella Yelich-O’Connor said “Friday is good because… Friday means we’re gonna dance a bunch!” which the mostly female audience was happy to comply with. 

She reprised her Disclosure collaboration on ‘Magnets’, ‘Ribs’ recounted the anxieties and emotions of her teenage years set at in a party scene, and the crowd dancing got more involved on ‘The Louvre’ ,as Lorde and band “broadcast the boom boom boom”. 

Lorde & Tove Styrke art by vu

A show highlight was when Lorde sat to take an extended break and sing a set of piano-only backed songs beginning with the verse and chorus of Prince’s ‘I Would Die 4 U’, telling a story of meeting him at the Golden Globes and missing (and later regretting) an invitation to one of his legendary late night concerts. Tove Styrke returned to the stage to sit with Lorde for a great duet of a Robyn cover, the two sitting close and hugging affectionately following. 

‘Liability’ was sung for the second time this night, leading to the band returning in full for the somber, organ-driven (sort-of) new album title track, ‘Sober II (Melodrama)’ followed by the infectious ‘Supercut’ with the singer emoting “in my head, I do everything right”.

The last three songs of the main set built increasingly on their own thrill factor- the breakthrough hit ‘Royals’ had everyone singing along, ‘Perfect Places’ invited the audience to come along on a journey, and ‘Green Light’ took things to the next level, with a smiling Lorde dancing about cannon confetti and appropriate green lighting, calling the song a “sort of chemical experiment” as she introduced it. 

The three-song encore started in a revelatory way, with just the singer and her Akai MPD24 MIDI Pad controller (less than $100 on eBay) taking things very back-to-basics, starting with the spelling lesson of ‘Loveless’, then going into the new and unreleased ‘Precious Metals’. 

2013’s ‘Team’ ended things with further crowd dancing and Lorde singing “I’m kind of over getting told to throw my hands in the air ”(which found everyone doing just that, for some reason,“…so there”). “St. Paul, good night, we love you!” Lorde beamed, taking one last bow before dashing off stage. 

With fans still screaming and applauding, Lorde made things worth the five-year long wait to see her live locally, with the crowd and singer sharing those musical moments of being “on each other’s team”.

(click on any photo below to enlarge and see full image)

Tove Styrke

Tove Styrke

Tove Styrke

Run the Jewels

Run the Jewels

Lorde

Run the Jewels

Lorde

Lorde

Lorde

Lorde

Lorde

Lorde at Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul (23 March 2018)

john (johnc@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Marvel Universe LIVE! Age of Heroes at Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul (10 Dec 2017)

Tour Dates 1/4/2018 - 1/7/2018 Tampa, FL 1/12/2018 - 1/15/2018 Orlando, FL 1/18/2018 - 1/21/2018 Jacksonville, FL 1/25/2018 - 1/28/2018 Raleigh, NC 2/1/2018 - 2/4/2018 Greenville, SC 2/8/2018 - 2/11/2018 Greensboro, NC 2/16/2018 - 2/19/2018 Philadelphia, PA 2/22/2018 - 2/25/2018 Brooklyn, NY 3/1/2018 - 3/4/2018 Bridgeport, CT 3/8/2018 - 3/11/2018 Richmond, VA 3/15/2018 - 3/18/2018 Newark, NJ 3/22/2018 - 4/1/2018 Uniondale, NY 4/5/2018 - 4/8/2018 Baltimore, MD 4/12/2018 - 4/15/2018 Norfolk, VA 4/19/2018 - 4/22/2018 Worcester, MA 4/26/2018 - 4/29/2018 Providence, RI 5/3/2018 - 5/6/2018 Wilkes Barre, PA 7/12/2018 - 7/22/2018 Houston, TX 7/26/2018 - 7/29/2018 Corpus Christi, TX 8/2/2018 - 8/5/2018 San Antonio, TX 8/9/2018 - 8/12/2018 Dallas, TX 8/16/2018 - 8/19/2018 Fort Worth, TX 8/23/2018 - 8/26/2018 Austin, TX 8/31/2018 - 9/2/2018 Moline, IL 9/6/2018 - 9/9/2018 Lexington, KY 9/14/2018 - 9/16/2018 Kansas City, MO 9/27/2018 - 9/30/2018 Columbus, OH 10/4/2018 - 10/7/2018 Albany, NY 10/25/2018 - 10/28/2018 Pittsburgh, PA 11/8/2018 - 11/11/2018 Manchester, NH 11/15/2018 - 11/18/2018 Detroit, MI 11/23/2018 - 11/25/2018 Hershey, PA 11/29/2018 - 12/2/2018 Allentown, PA 12/6/2018 - 12/9/2018 Nashville, TN 12/13/2018 - 12/16/2018 Huntsville, AL 12/20/2018 - 12/23/2018 North Charleston, SC 12/27/2018 - 12/30/2018 Southaven, MS 1/10/2019 - 1/13/2019 Sunrise, FL 1/17/2019 - 1/21/2019 Miami, FL 1/24/2019 - 1/27/2019 Charlotte, NC 2/7/2019 - 2/10/2019 Birmingham, AL 2/14/2019 - 2/17/2019 Atlanta, GA 2/21/2019 - 2/24/2019 Duluth, GA 3/21/2019 - 3/31/2019 Fairfax, VA Read More Marvel Comics Ant-Man is probably my second to least favorite Marvel film. I would have love to have seen a proper Ant-Man film by original director/writer Edgar Wright ...

Make Mine Marvel- live and in person!—

The ever-growing Marvel Comics Universe comes to life in the form of Feld Entertainment’s production of Marvel Universe LIVE! Age of Heroes and we were there to take in the final show of the Minneapolis/St. Paul run, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. 

Marvel Universe LIVE! Age of Heroes brings over two dozen iconic characters to life in one epic mission to defend the universe from evil. Spider-Man, the Avengers, Iron Fist, and the Guardians of the Galaxy team up with Doctor Strange in a plot that could be right out of the comics- it’s a race against time to recover the Wand of Watoomb (stolen by Nebula) before it falls into Loki’s hands, needed in order to crown himself ruler over both Asgard and Earth.

The quest takes characters like Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Panther, Hulk, Wasp, and Black Widow into New York City streets as well as to The Savage Land, Asgard, and K’un-Lun to battle against some of the most threatening villains, including a Spider-Man’s rogues gallery of the Lizard, the Rhino, and Electro. Special effects, pyro, small explosions, battles, and aerial stunts in front of a large video projection all help to create an immersive family-friendly experience.

The heroic cast is made up of an eclectic mix of aerialists, dancers, acrobats, and stunt performers who stage fight scenes, motorbike chases, fire dances, gymnastic moves, and dodge special effects through a series of landscapes in this fast-paced production with a lot to visually take in.

Split into two halves of about forty-five minutes each, the story moves rapidly with the taped character dialogue adding insight into the storyline and is a perfect fit for young, especially pre-teen, fans of the popular characters.

Although there’s plenty on stage to keep kids’ attention, the show also offers a bevy of themed concessions and merchandise including clothing, costumes, figures, toys, and even items like your own light up Wand of Watoomb (!) and swords (?), Captain America and Spider-Man snow cones in a head cup with custom straw, and even boomerangs (which were demonstrated at intermission).

Getting my own picture taken at a department store with a costumed Spider-Man way back when I was very young and impressionable still holds a favorite memory to me, so I would imagine taking a grade-school aged child to this show, would have a similar positive impact on them.  And with the Marvel movie franchises doing record business (part one of the unifying Avengers: Infinity War is coming to theaters May 4, 2018), this is a show that should remain popular well into its 2019 dates.

Feld’s production of the show is professional and visually interesting, honors the characters’ histories (though is based more on the movie versions than the comics), and is entertaining both to children and their parents. Marvel Universe LIVE! Age of Heroes brings these favorite heroes to life in a unique and fun way, maybe inspiring some youngsters creatively along the way, as well.

Marvel Universe Live

Marvel Universe Live

Marvel Universe Live

Marvel Universe Live

Marvel Universe Live

Marvel Universe Live

Marvel Universe LIVE! Age of Heroes at Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul (10 Dec 2017)

john (johnc@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

A Perfect Circle at Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul (25 Nov 2017)

A Perfect Circle Setlist The Package The Hollow The Noose Weak and Powerless Rose Imagine (John Lennon cover) By and Down Thomas People Are People (Depeche Mode cover) Magdalena Vanishing Passive Gravity 3 Libras (All Main Courses Mix) Hourglass Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums The Doomed The Outsider Feathers The Beta Machine Setlist Intruder Again & Again All This Time (Untitled New Song) The End Pictures Tour Dates 11/30/2017 Vancouver, BC P.N.E. Pacific Coliseum 12/01/2017 Seattle, WA KeyArena 12/02/2017 Portland, OR Veterans Memorial Coliseum 12/04/2017 Eugene, OR Matthew Knight Arena 06/05/2018 Stockholm, Sweden Fryshuset 06/06/2018 Oslo, Norway Spektrum 06/08/2018 Aarhus, Denmark "Northside Festival" 06/12/2018 Manchester, UK O2 Apollo Manchester 06/13/2018 London UK O2 Academy Brixton 06/17/2018 Berlin, Germany Zitadelle 06/20/2018 Zurich, Switzerland Halle 622 06/23/2018 Esch-Sur-Alzette, Luxembourg Rockhal 06/26/2018 Paris, France Olympia 06/29/2018 Barcelona, Be Prog! My Friend Festival 07/01/2018 Verona, Italy Rock the Castle Festival Read More A Perfect Circle Supergroup A Perfect Circle (featuring guitarist Billy Howerdel and Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan) is back in 2017 for a rare tour and promotion of a pending forth studio album ... The Beta Machine Show up early to check out The Beta Machine. Please note that the band has a strict no photos policy at their shows. This is the camera policy ...

Dark and doomed never felt (and sounded) so good—

Led by the always-enigmatic Maynard James Keenan, A Perfect Circle re-acquainted almost 8,000 Twin Cities fans with their previous material, as well as played some new music from their upcoming first album in thirteen years, to a fiercely loyal crowd at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. 

The album started with an also dark opening set from The Beta Machine, an electric rock band formed by current APC members Matt McJunkins (Vocals/Bass/Keyboards) and Jeff Friedl (Drums/Percussion) joined by Claire Acey (Vocals/Keyboards), and Nicholas Perez (Guitars/Keyboards/Vocals). The band has been together almost a decade but has purposely taken its time with its music, self-releasing its first five-song EP, All This Time, earlier this Spring. 

“Thank you for coming earlier- you’re amazing!” McJunkins said, looking at a full floor as Acey’s brooding siren call sang the title track.  ‘The End’ ran sinister but fast tempo’d with an electronic drum beat keeping pace with the vocals with a sound that already seemed suited for a large hall.  “If you want to join us, stand the f##k up” McJunkins implored for the closing ‘Pictures’ anchored by a heartbeat bassline and foreboding melody. 

Known for his disdain of photography and cell use for all his bands’ concerts, Keenan and co. imposed a very strict No Photos, Videos, or Cell Phone Use Whatsoever Rule throughout the show, with the venue posting this everywhere- on doors, on each row of seats, along their digital scrolling signs, and via a repeated taped announcement.

Sixty fans were escorted out of a recent Reading, PA show and dozens more at the Mohegan Sun in CT, so the band was more than serious about enforcing this throughout the show, meaning no activity (not even checking the time on a lighted mobile) during the opener, the intermission, or the headline act, which made for more of a rapt attentive audience than probably otherwise. 

With a sheer curtain between the crowd and the band, A Perfect Circle began their hundred-minute set with 2003’s ‘The Package’, the curtain dropping mid-song as Keenan sang “give this to me!” to a roaring crowd.  The set was, and remained mostly in darkness for the show, bassist McJunkins and guitarist Billy Howerdel  prowled out  front as Keenan, James Iha on rhythm guitar/keys and drummer Friedl were each perched on individual round platforms towards the back of the stage.  Keenan stayed mostly in darkness throughout, though his flowing blonde wig was visible as he swayed and moved about in the fog and black. 

“Feels like we’re in Viking Country…” Keenan said four songs in, to shouts and cheers, “...which is kind of awkward to me… because being a Green Bay Packer fan, I feel like I’m going to get raped and pillaged” he joked with dry wit, “I’m from Michigan, what am I going to do, back the Lions?! … Ahh, enough about baseball…!”

“We are artists, our job is to observe, interpret, report- we are merchants of emotion” Keenan said, imploring the audience to start listening and talking to each other again, maybe also indirectly explaining the phone ban as well.

The pair of covers played were both turned on their goth heads, APC-style, as Keenan sang ‘Imagine’ and Howerdel took lead for Depeche Mode’s ‘People are People’. “Are those lighters?!” Keenan said as many went in the air (in place of phones) for the John Lennon cover, “…thank you, smokers”.

Musically, the band were solidly tight, having well shaken off any hiatus rust, with the versatile Iha switching instruments often as the song demanded, and in clear sync with Howerdel (no need to rush any Smashing Pumpkins reunion when he plays so well with this bald Billy, and with likely less drama).

The best was saved for the show’s second half as the audience was treated to three unreleased new songs, due on the upcoming 2018 release, ‘Hourglass’, new single ‘The Doomed’ and ‘Feathers’.  In between those, ‘Counting Bodies Like Sheep…’ slayed with its sharp lyrics and anthemic scope and 2004’s’The Outsider’ blazed with Howerdel’s guitars wrestling the song back and forth. 

After band introductions (and in place of any traditional stage exit for an encore), Iha killed a few minutes with a couple purposely bad jokes (“Where does a penguin keep his money? – in a snow bank” and “What can you wear that never goes out of style?- a smile”) before the band daringly closed with a brand new song. 

“Sadness like a pendulum pulls us round and to and fro” Keenan sang in the closing ‘Feathers’ and fans of A Perfect Circle not only entered, but lovingly embraced the envisioned dark world, entranced by its soundtrack but also seeing a bit of light at the end of the tunnel, “Tell them well, we'll make it through” Keenan sang, and everyone gladly walked that path with him.

(all photos courtesy of the artists, unless indicated otherwise)

Beta Machine

Beta Machine

A Perfect Circle: No Photos

A Perfect Circle courtesy YouTube

A Perfect Circle

A Perfect Circle at Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul (25 Nov 2017) photo courtesy of ejc666

john (johnc@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Don Henley w/ JD and the Straight Shot at Xcel Energy Center, St Paul (18 June 2017)

Don Henley Setlist Seven Bridges Road (Steve Young cover) Dirty Laundry Sunset Grill That Old Flame Witchy Woman (Eagles song) When I Stop Dreaming (The Louvin Brothers cover) New York Minute One of These Nights (Eagles song) It Don't Matter to the Sun (Garth Brooks [as Chris Gaines] cover) Peaceful Easy Feeling (Eagles song) The End of the Innocence The Last Resort (Eagles song) The Heart of the Matter Everybody Wants to Rule the World (Tears for Fears cover) The Boys of Summer -- Encore -- Life in the Fast Lane (Eagles song) Hotel California (Eagles song) Wasted Time (Eagles song) Desperado (Eagles song) All She Wants to Do Is Dance JD and the Straight Shot Setlist Glide Redemption Train Nature's Way (Spirit cover) Perdition Violet's Song Moonlight Ballyhoo Better Find a Church (Little Feat cover) Let It Roll Don Henley Tour Dates 07/15/2017 Los Angeles, CA "Classic West" 07/22/2017 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center 07/29/2017 New York, NY "Classic East" JD and The Straight Shot Tour Dates 06/22/17 City Winery New York, NY 10/31/17 Barbican York, UK 11/03/17 O2 Academy Glasgow, Scotland 11/04/17 O2 Academy Manchester, UK 11/08/17 CIRQUE ROYALE Brussels, Belgium 11/11/17 Vaerket Randers, Denmark Read More Don Henley The boy of summer is back ... You know we love The Eagles and Don Henley, so this is a show that you can’t miss. He will be playing hits from the past four decades. … JD & The Straight Shot JD & The Straight Shot’s sound is steeped in the quiet fire of Americana with distinctive elements of roots music topped off with a dash of classic rock. The band is currently working on their forthcoming …

Father’s Day evening in the Twin Cities was made even better, with an appearance from one of the musical fathers of The Eagles—

That band‚Äôs co-founder and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Don Henley played the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, with a two-hour set of music that covered his more than forty-two years in the music business. 

The challenging task of introducing yourself and your music to an audience that was mostly unaware of them was given to openers JD and the Straight Shot, an Americana blues and roots rock group, out in support of their fifth studio album, Ballyhoo!, which was self-released in 2016.

The group is led by guitarist/vocalist Jim Dolan and filled with seasoned musicians (featuring Byron House [Robert Plant, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton] on upright bass; Erin Slaver [Martina McBride, Rod Stewart] on fiddle/violin and Marc Copely [B.B. King, Rosanne Cash] on guitars) and rose to that challenge by huddling close to each other and made the cavernous arena, seem like a small barn for their intimate 45min. set. 

Performing as an acoustic six-piece live, the group eased into their set with opening number, ‚ÄòGlide‚Äô, with Dolan‚Äôs noteworthy raspy vocals sounding like a mix of Randy Newman, Tom Waits, and Dr. John.  Several songs played could also be heard in films, such as ‚ÄòPerdition‚Äô (from Janie‚Äôs Got a Gun) and ‚ÄòViolet‚Äôs Song‚Äô (from August: Osage County). With the title track to the Ballyhoo! album, Dolan donned a tall hat and burgundy coat, looking like a New Orleans medicine man with the band grooving accordingly and they even worked in snippets of ‚ÄòPaint it Black‚Äô and ‚ÄòWhole Lotta Love‚Äô into their own ‚ÄòLet it Roll‚Äô toward the end. 

It was only after the lights came up, could you see several radios of all vintages, suspended from the ceiling over the stage.  Lights again darkened and the spotlights shone on each of the radios (maybe 42 in all?) as an audio portion was played to give the audience a history lesson of events or music of the times from the post-war era onward.  Then, the stage shone bright as Don Henley and band appeared and began acapella, singing ‚ÄòSeven Bridges Road‚Äô at the front of the stage. 

Henley is still out in support of his country-tinged album, Cass County (Past Masters Holdings/Capitol Records), though the night was also a musical celebration of his forty-two years as a musician. While he did play a handful of the newer songs, Henley thankfully chose not to ‚Äúover countri-fy‚Äù any of his earlier classics and most were played as people were familiar with. 

And like previous shows on the tour (including last fall at the State Fair), Henley insisted on no audience cameras whatsoever (thus, our stock photos), with security chasing and shoulder-tapping anyone with a cellphone in the air, trying to get a quick still frame or shoot quick video.

‚ÄúAs you can see, I brought a few people with me‚Äù Henley and his dry wit quipped after ‚ÄòSunset Grill‚Äô , referring to the whopping fifteen people on stage with him, including a five piece horn section and crack band including drummer Scott Crago and guitarist Steurt Smith (who The Eagles hired to replace Don Felder in 2001). 

Politics were largely on the backburner for the evening, though there were a few indirect references and Henley seemed to sing again-poignant songs like ‚ÄòThe End of the Innocence‚Äô with a little extra vigor. 

Henley recognized that Minnesota had a Cass County (one of nine states to have one), and the new songs often featured one of the three backup singers, who each held their own vocally, against his signature tenor.  ‚ÄòWitchy Woman‚Äô was a new arrangement of the 1972 Eagles song, ‚Äúthe way we should have done it in the first place‚Äù Henley said, and The Eagles‚Äô ‚ÄòPeaceful Easy Feeling‚Äô was dedicated to Glenn Frey, who performed the unmissable lead vocals on the recorded hit.

One of the musical highlights of the night was 1976‚Äôs ‚ÄòThe Last Resort‚Äô, the closing track on the Hotel California album that was rarely played live, due to the complexity the song required to be performed- ‚ÄúI have the personnel now‚Äù, Henley said.  ‚ÄúWe‚Äôve been doing this song for therapy‚Äù, Henley said, introducing his faithful cover of Tears for Fears‚Äô ‚ÄòEverybody Wants to Rule the World‚Äô, a song we heard the original duo play in this very building, just a month before. 

After a rolling ‘Boys of Summer’, Henley split the five-song encore, beginning it with an amped-up ‘Life in the Fast Lane’ which featured a stirring dueling guitar solo. Though known as The Eagles’ drummer, Henley never sat behind the kit this evening, but occasionally banged on the basic snare/cymbals set-up, next to the drums.

The newer Eagles song ‚ÄòWasted Time‚Äô became a male-female duet with backup singer Lara Johnston, the chorus of ‚ÄòDesperado‚Äô sounded like a church choir with the combined power of the band and audience voices, and ‚ÄòAll She Wants to Do Is Dance‚Äô gave everyone one last chance to move about after some two hours. 

Though his stage presence wasn‚Äôt that much to take in, Don Henley succeeded on the sheer magnitude of the band‚Äôs technical sharpness and all those familiar songs everyone knows by heart, destined to still have airplay, for decades to come. Realizing that the songs are why the people keep coming out and anchoring his show with so many classics, this musical father knows best. 

Photo courtesy of JD and The Straight Shot

Photo courtesy of Don Henley

 

john (johnc@weheartmusic.com) ‚ô• weheartmusic.com ‚ô• twitter.com/weheartmusic

Iron Maiden & Ghost at Xcel Energy Center, St Paul (16 June 2017)

Iron Maiden Setlist     Intro: UFO‚Äôs ‚ÄòDoctor Doctor‚Äô If Eternity Should Fail Speed of Light Wrathchild Children of the Damned Death or Glory The Red and the Black The Trooper Powerslave The Great Unknown The Book of Souls Fear of the Dark Iron Maiden -- Encore -- The Number of the Beast Blood Brothers Wasted Years Ghost Setlist     Intro: Gregorio Allegri‚Äôs ‚ÄòMasked Ball‚Äô Square Hammer From the Pinnacle to the Pit Ritual Cirice Year Zero Absolution Mummy Dust Monstrance Clock Tour Dates 6/19 - Oklahoma City, OK - Chesapeake Energy 6/21 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center 6/23 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center 6/24 - San Antonio, TX - AT&T Center 6/27 - Albuquerque, NM - Isleta Amphitheater 6/28 - Scottsdale, AZ - Talking Stick Resort 7/1 - San Bernardino, CA - Glen Helen Amph 7/3 - Las Vegas, NV - T-Mobile Arena 7/5 - Oakland, CA - Oracle Arena 7/7 - West Valley City, UT - USANA Amph 7/9 - Lincoln, NE - Pinnacle Bank Arena 7/11 - Kansas City, MO - Sprint Center 7/12 - Maryland Heights, MO - Hollywood Casino 7/15 - Toronto, ON - Budweiser Stage 7/16 - Ville De Quebec, QC - Centre Videotron 7/19 - Mansfield, MA - Xfinity Center 7/21 - Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center 7/22 - Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center Read More Iron Maiden Legendary metal band Iron Maiden is headlining the Xcel Energy Center this Friday, June 16th. Their first MN show in 17 years! The English band‚Äôs latest album The Book of Souls is available now .‚Ķ Ghost Sweden‚Äôs Ghost (also known as Ghost BC) will be headlining the Myth in Maplewood (St Paul area), this July 28th, touring in support of their new album Meliora (which came .‚Ķ

Legendary British metal band Iron Maiden just played a sold-out Xcel Energy Center show last Friday, June 16th.... their first Minnesota show in 17 years! The anticipation was strong, as the massive crowd loudly ascended to the stadium in St Paul. You’ve never seen anything quite like it, they were all dressed in old Iron Maiden T-shirts, all in black. This was a dedicated crowd.

Ghost

Swedish metal band Ghost started the event with a generous 47-min set. Ghost was formerly known as Ghost B.C. in the United States, because of legal reasons, but eventually got the legal right to use the name Ghost. Like Daft Punk and early Slipknot, early in their career, the band members in Ghost were unknown. After a lawsuit filed by four former members, the true identity of “Papa Emeritus III” is Tobias Forge. Forge’s band consists of Fire (lead guitar), Water (bassist), Wind (keyboardist), Earth (drummer), and Ether (rhythm guitar).

It’s all part of the show, Forge in a Satanic version of a Roman Catholic Priest clothing, his “Ghouls” wearing metal Devil masks. If you look past the gimmicky costumes and just listen to their music, they actually sounded very, very good. It’s not just heavy metal, you can hear other influences in their sound... and it’s a bit unfair to dismiss them based on the outfits they wear. In fact, if you take a look at the band’s latest EP Popestar, the band covered Echo & the Bunnymen’s ‘Nocturnal Me’ (alternative rock), Simian Mobile Disco’s ‘I Believe’ (electronic DJs), Eurythmics’ ‘Missionary Man’ (synth) and Imperiet’s ‘Bible’ (rock)... all very diverse genres.

Their set ended with a “really heavy, heavy metal song”, as described by Forge, called ‘Mummy Dust’, followed by a “slow one” called ‘Monstrance Clock’.

After setting up the stage, Iron Maiden (bassist Steve Harris, guitarist Dave Murray, guitarist Adrian Smith, singer Bruce Dickinson, drummer Nicko McBrain, and guitarist Janick Gers) took the stage to 14,000 fans screamed and stomped loudly at their idols on stage.

Singer Bruce Dickinson had to addressed the crowd, “You know, the media still wondered how Iron Maiden can still sell out arenas... I’ll give you a reason, 14,000 reasons!” as he pointed to the audience. He went on to talk about the younger fans born after 1982, “Your mother was probably getting it on to this next song.” With that said, the band launched into their big hit song ‘Children of the Damned’.

The theme of this “The Book of Souls Tour” was inspired by Maya culture, as seen by a war painted Eddie and the Mayan temple stage design. Of course, being an arena tour, there were occasional fireballs... whenever they went off, it was very impressive.

The setlist was also The Book of Souls-heavy, but, by now, the fans have all had a chance to listen to the new record, so they were familiar with the songs. That is because the 16th Iron Maiden studio album was released in 2015, as a double album, the band’s longest record to date, but there was no tour promotion for it. Instead, the band had to postponed their tour until vocalist Dickinson could recover from a cancerous tumor that year.

It was well worth the wait, as Dickinson was in tip-top form, running, jumping, dancing, and singing at the top of his lungs. He’s still got a great voice, even at some of the high notes. For the first few songs, Dickinson seemed overdressed (in a sweat jacket cover) for all the energy he was exerting, but you quickly realize that it was to cover for a British uniform costume he was wearing underneath.

Sometime we got bass solo from the great Steve Harris or a long guitar intro by Dave Murray, it was deliberate to give time for Dickinson to change costumes. It was almost theatrical, the planning it went to put together this show. For those who never saw Iron Maiden before, they can attest that this was one of the most memorable shows they’ve ever attended.

Iron Maiden’s The Book of Souls is out now.

NOTE: With these big stadium shows we’ve opted out of photo passes due to the venue’s heavy camera restrictions.

Iron Maiden at Xcel Energy Center, St Paul (16 June 2017)

vu (vu@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Daryl Hall and John Oates / Tears For Fears at Xcel Energy Center, St Paul (11 May 2017)

Hall & Oates Setlist Adult Education Maneater Out of Touch Say It Isn't So You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' (The Righteous Brothers cover) One on One Possession Obsession She’s Gone Sara Smile Wait for Me Is It a Star Method of Modern Love I Can't Go for That (No Can Do) You Make My Dreams -- Encore -- Rich Girl Kiss on My List Private Eyes Tears For Fears Setlist Everybody Wants to Rule the World Secret World Sowing the Seeds of Love Advice for the Young at Heart Everybody Loves a Happy Ending Change Mad World Memories Fade Creep (Radiohead cover) Pale Shelter Break It Down Again Head Over Heels Shout Tour Dates 05/15/2017 Allstate Arena Rosemont, IL * 05/17/2017 Joe Louis Arena Detroit, MI * 05/20/2017 Quicken Loans Arena Cleveland, OH* 05/22/2017 Schottenstein Center Columbus, OH* 05/24/2017 Bridgestone Arena Nashville, TN* 05/27/2017 HoagieNation Festival* 06/07/2017 AmericanAirlines Arena Miami, FL* 06/09/2017 Amway Center Orlando, FL* 06/11/2017 Infinite Energy Center Duluth, GA* 06/13/2017 U.S. Bank Arena Cincinnati, OH* 06/16/2017 Forest Hills Stadium Queens, NY* 06/17/2017 Prudential Center Newark, NJ* 06/19/2017 Air Canada Centre Toronto, ON* 06/21/2017 Centre Vidéotron Quebec City, QC* 06/24/2017 TD Garden Boston, MA* 06/26/2017 Verizon Center Washington, DC* 07/11/2017 American Airlines Center Dallas, TX* 07/13/2017 AT&T Center San Antonio, TX* 07/15/2017 Fiddler's Green Englewood, CO* 07/17/2017 Gila River Arena Glendale, AZ* 07/19/2017 Valley View Casino San Diego, CA* 07/21/2017 T-Mobile Arena Las Vegas, NV* 07/23/2017 Golden 1 Center Sacramento, CA* 07/25/2017 SAP Center At San Jose San Jose, CA* 07/28/2017 Staples Center Los Angeles, CA* 07/29/2017 Staples Center Los Angeles, CA* 09/01/2017 JAS Aspen Snowmass Experience * = with Tears For Fears, Allen Stone Read More Hall & Oates You know we absolutely love Hall & Oates, so I was fooled into clicking a news link on Facebook about “Hall and Oates got into a bloody confrontation that ended with Hall getting bit in the face and Oates landing in jail … Tears for Fears Tears for Fears is massive, yet when they reformed to do some tour dates (with Spandau Ballet in Australia!) there is no official website or outlet for touring information … Allen Stone Seattle-based hippy R&B artist Allen Stone brought on a raucously entertaining set to NYC’s Terminal 5 Thursday, October 9. .…

In a night of duo duos, Hall & Oates gave us an Adult Education to their brand of rock and soul, while ‘80s pair Tears for Fears gave their own blend of musical Advice for the Young at Heart in a hit-filled evening that brought some 14,000 to the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. 

The four-hour evening began with an unfortunately too short acoustic set from hippie-soul artist Allen Stone, in support of 2016’s Radius (ATO Records) and whose song ‘Perfect World’ was recently used to promote the new Dear White People series on Netflix.  Washington state native Stone got to know Daryl Hall when he appeared on the Live from Daryl’s House TV show and ended up on Hall’s tour of the same name a few years ago. 

His four-song set actually started ten minutes early, catching some early concert goers somewhat by surprise, Stone in patched jacket with flowers wrapped around his mic stands, singing his own ‘Upside’ as well as the Burt Bacharach/Hal David-penned classic, ‘I Say a Little Prayer’.  Serving as just a taste of his music, Stone is worth seeking out when he plays full sets at smaller clubs again. 

After a short break, lights dimmed as an introductory video montage hit the overhead screens, with Lorde’s goth-y, slowed version of ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World’ as its soundtrack.  This segued into Tears for Fears entering and playing the same song themselves, starting their seventy-minute set with perhaps their biggest hit. 

The Bath, UK natives, now both in their mid-fifties, returned to the area for the first time in over a decade, following the opening number with ‘Secret World’, a Beatles-esque gem (even working in a verse of McCartney’s ‘Let ‘Em In’) from their last studio release, 2004’s Everybody Loves a Happy Ending (New Door/Gut Records), with 1990’s ‘Sowing the Seeds of Love’ next and keeping the hits and momentum moving. 

Before ‘Change’, Curt Smith recalled being in an area coffee shop in the morning, encountering a barista who was beyond excited for the show that evening.  “They suck!” Smith cried out to her in jest, the shop worker not recognizing who he actually was. “We’ll attempt not to suck”, he promised the crowd, and apologizing to the unknown woman in the crowd. 

After a third song from 1983’s The Hurting, Orzabal took the lead for a faithful cover of Radiohead’s ‘Creep’, then going back to the first album again for ‘Pale Shelter’, with actual drumming subbing in for the recorded version’s drum machines. 

Perhaps because of the shortened set, ‘Head Over Heels’ was performed without the ‘Broken’ intro/outro (almost unforgivable) but the standing, cheering crowd didn’t seem to mind, the band then leaving the stage until being called back out for a single song encore of ‘Shout’.  With a promised new album due later in the year, we’ll hope to see the band again, with a longer set and more time to play.

2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Daryl Hall and John Oates next took to the stage, as St. Paul became Philadelphia for their headlining set, clocked just shy of two-hours.  Though the pair hasn’t released an album in more than a decade, they have been busy separately as well as touring together sporadically. 

John Oates has a successful solo career, having played the Dakota locally, and recently authored a memoir, Change of Seasons, released in March.  Daryl Hall has released a handful of solo albums as well, probably now best known for his Live from Daryl’s House program, airing since 2007. 

The Daryl’s House band, large and well-rehearsed from all the TV sessions, was the duo’s backing band also included longtime sax player Charles DeChant (in shimmering suit and long white hair) who often stole the show during his solos. The music all night leaned towards slightly looser improvisations of the classic songs, often with extended jams, perhaps partially the result of Hall and band playing on the show with so many diverse and different musicians.

1984’s Big Bam Boom was the album most featured, including on their opening ‘Adult Education’  and deep cut ‘Possession Obsession’, but most other musical eras were represented as well.  “It’s really good to see you…. our blood is up!” Hall remarked, mentioning they were only a couple dates into the tour. DeChant’s signature sax anchored ‘Maneater’ and the band even included their rock and soul version of a classic Righteous Brothers song.

After a crisp ‘She’s Gone’, even more soulful than when done in 1973, Hall took to his new grand piano for a handful of songs, starting with 1976’s ‘Sara Smile’.  1979’s ‘Wait for Me’ and 1974’s ‘Is It a Star’ (from the War Babies album, “a bit of a departure from many things… music mostly”, Hall joked), an Oates-led song, pleased especially the longtime fans. 

The signature bassline of ‘I Can’t Go for That’ got people on their feet, the song stretched out and expanded to add even more soul, and main set closer, ‘You Make My Dreams’ made a lot of people’s dreams come true, to see the song performed live.

The full band was properly introduced before the three-song encore- 1977’s ‘Rich Girl’ flowing smoothly into 1980’s ‘Kiss on My List’, then the band ending the evening with the Grammy-winning ‘Private Eyes’ from 1981 (no trench coats or magnifying glasses like in the video though) with the crowd clapping along on cue, at the chorus.

A seemingly very different pairing seemed to work well in the end as Hall and Oates and Tears for Fears (along with Allen Stone) provided an electric four hours of entertainment , a chance to re-visit the past, and a discovery that the music the duo duos first played some thirty-five+ years ago, still resonates with their many fans today.

Poster

Allen Stone

Allen Stone

Tears For Fears

Tears For Fears

Tears For Fears at Xcel Energy Center, St Paul (11 May 2017)

Tears For Fears

Tears For Fears

Hall and Oates

Hall and Oates

Hall and Oates

Hall and Oates at Xcel Energy Center, St Paul (11 May 2017)

john (johnc@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Bon Jovi at Xcel Energy Center, St Paul (27 March 2017)

Bon Jovi Setlist This House Is Not for Sale Knockout You Give Love a Bad Name Lost Highway Whole Lot of Leavin' Roller Coaster We Weren't Born to Follow I'll Sleep When I'm Dead We Got It Goin' On Who Says You Can't Go Home It's My Life We Don't Run God Bless This Mess Scars on This Guitar New Year's Day Lay Your Hands on Me Born to Be My Baby Have a Nice Day Bad Medicine Keep the Faith -- Encore -- Blood on Blood Wanted Dead or Alive Livin' on a Prayer Bon Jovi Members Jon Bon Jovi – Lead Vocals/Guitar David Bryan – Keyboards/Vocals Tico Torres – Drums Hugh McDonald – Bass/Vocals Phil X(enidis) – Guitar/Vocals John Shanks – Guitar/Vocals Everett Bradley – Percussion/Vocals Tour Dates 04/05/17 Pittsburgh, PA PPG Paints Arena 04/07/17 New York, NY Madison Square Garden 04/08/17 New York, NY Madison Square Garden 04/10/17 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre 04/11/17 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre 04/14/17 Denver, CO Pepsi Center 08/18/17 Endicott, NY En-Joie Golf Course 09/22/17 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil- Rock in Rio Read More Bon Jovi Other shows in the area: 03/24/17 The Walker Art Center and the Cedar proudly presents Grammy-nominated quintet Kneebody ... 03/27/17 Bon Jovi will be rocking out the Xcel Energy Center. … Step Rockets Star Tribune Stage Step Rockets Fort Wilson Riot Gospel Machine July 9: Great Clips Stage Ron Pope Matt Nathanson Phillip Phillips The Fray …

They have a new house to show off—but it’s not for sale,

Still going after some thirty-four years in the business, Bon Jovi returned to town, playing (surprisingly) to over 18,000 at a sold-out Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul for a two-and-a-half hour set that pleased both longtime fans and more recent listeners. 

The evening began with a short twenty-five minute opening set, by locally-based band Step Rockets, who successfully headlined the Triple Rock Social Club late last month, and won a contest Bon Jovi is holding in every city on their tour, as a chance to open for them in an arena-sized venue. 

The band, who plays synth-tinged modern pop with worldly grooves, recently released their first EP, Future Nature and song ‘Money’. But in full disclosure, we unfortunately didn’t see a second of the band, as we didn’t arrive until after their set, deciding to wait until after show time to secure a rock bottom ticket online (six dollars!), to catch the headliner.

As a result, we arrived at the arena between sets, in time to catch the last few minutes of Bon Jovi advertisements (ever the businessman) repeated on-screen for the band’s merch, smartphone app, wine collection, and even his father’s pasta sauce. 

Lights dimmed as Bon Jovi took to the stage behind a large curtain in relative darkness and a barrage of sound effects to begin their long headlining set.  Beginning with the title track to the new album, This House is Not for Sale (Island Records) the curtain dropped just before the first chorus to a bevy of screams to reveal the big but relatively simple black stage- catwalks on the sides and back, the band’s dagger heart logo at the center, and surrounded by automated lightning that rose and lowered on metal trestles that resembled skyscrapers at full height. 

The core three members remain (the now silver-haired Jon, keyboardist David Bryan and drummer Tico Torres) with now-official members Hugh McDonald on bass and Phil X on lead guitar joining, along with touring percussionist Everett Bradley and Bon Jovi’s creative partner of recent times, John Shanks on rhythm guitar. 

“Been a while since we’ve been here, we’ve got a lot of catching up to do”, Bon Jovi said before launching into breakthrough hit, ‘Bad Name’, not breaking a sweat enough to take off his leather jacket, until near the end. 

The new album was undoubtedly the focus of the first half of the show, with the band playing six of the cuts and Bon Jovi explaining how the photo on the album’s cover, inspired the entire direction of the new album. 

Second single, ‘Rollercoaster’ sounded like vintage Bon Jovi and most older ballads (‘Always’, ‘Bed of Roses’, etc) were (gratefully) left off the setlist, with the new album’s ballad, ‘Scars on my Guitar’ filling that place instead. 

Early on, Bon Jovi acknowledged the metro as being one of eight initial cities, to have their first single, ‘Runaway’ in radio rotation, some thirty-four years ago, and the continued faith of area fans, as to why they keep coming back. 

“I think it’s about time we put this thing into second gear!” Bon Jovi exclaimed, launching into ‘It’s My Life’, which gave the band a second life in the mid-90’s, when hard rock had given way to grunge and other music. 

A set of five large sheer back panel vertical screens came down to provide some visuals to the new songs halfway in, with Bon Jovi reciting the opening lyrics of ‘God Bless This Mess’ as the band kicked in.  ‘New Year’s Day’ was actually inspired by Sting’s Broadway musical, The Last Ship, which he saw and immediately identified with the struggle of the working class ship builders.

“From here on out, it’s hits, all hits, nothing but the hits!” Bon Jovi announced for the last hour, as the band went into Slippery When Wet’s ‘Lay Your Hands on Me’ from thirty years ago and the crowd singing along with the chorus.   “Is there a doctor in the house?!” he yelled as ‘Bad Medicine’ rose voices to the rafters, and the appropriate ‘Keep the Faith’ closed out the main set.

The three-song encore continued the hit parade, starting with the brotherhood anthem ‘Blood on Blood’ (though it seems more like a business with Richie Sambora departed) and Bon Jovi giving a shout-out to his Uncle Bob and cousins, from the metro and in attendance, seeing the band for the first time. 

‘Wanted Dead or Alive’ began acoustically with the crowd singing the chorus before the band revved up the song, and a faithful ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ closing the night, with guitarist Phil X ably handling the solo and talkbox voice work, that Sambora once did. 

Bon Jovi’s “house” may be thirty-five years old and counting, but this new album and tour seem like a new coat of paint and some interior renovations, to make sure the house can continue  on into the future.  Being able to still have new songs on the radio and filling arenas to capacity, is a good sign their popularity still remains high. 

Bon Jovi at Xcel Energy Center, St Paul (27 March 2017)

john (johnc@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience at Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul (20 Feb 2017)

Tour Dates 02/25/17 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena 02/26/17 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center 03/01/17 Washington, DC Verizon Center 03/03/17 Montreal, QC Bell Centre 03/04/17 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre 03/06/17 Boston, MA TD Garden 03/07/17 New York, NY Madison Square Garden 03/09/17 Charlotte, NC Spectrum Center 03/11/17 Sunrise, FL BB&T Center 03/12/17 Tampa, FL Amalie Arena 03/14/17 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena 03/16/17 San Antonio, TX AT&T Center 03/17/17 Houston, TX Toyota Center 03/19/17 Denver, CO Pepsi Center 03/23/17 Inglewood, CA Forum 03/25/17 Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand Garden 03/26/17 Phoenix, AZ Talking Stick Resort 03/29/17 San Jose, CA SAP Center 03/31/17 Seattle, WA KeyArena 04/01/17 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena 04/02/17 Portland, OR Moda Center Read More Game Of Thrones Game Of Thrones: Season 2 soundtrack is coming out June 19th, via Varèse Sarabande. UPDATE: A couple of inquiries about downloading the song, you can look to The National's official Twitter. .…

Winter is already here… it’s Music that is Coming --

The Seven Kingdoms come to life in a way like no other as the Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience kicked off its all-arena twenty-four city North American tour at the Xcel Energy Center in St . Paul. 

Headed by score composer Ramin Djawadi who leads an eighty-piece orchestra and choir (with locals from the Twin Cities community and McNally Smith College of Music helping out), the two-set concert was one of the most immersive audio/visual experiences for any cinematic property. 

Based on the HBO series adapted from author George R.R. Martin’s books, the world of Westeros was seen in all its glory through giant center and movable satellite octagonal three-layered telescoping screens, with special 3D designs rising from the stage floor as the orchestra performed musical score highlights from the series' six seasons on a 360-degree stage at the center of the arena.

The large stage was divided into three main parts with runways connecting each- the main stage (called King's Landing) featured Djawadi as conductor with the orchestra and choir, while the opposite end (Winterfell stage) was mostly for choir and also solo performances. In between those stages was a center with four smaller stages often filled with roving instrumentalists (some playing exotic instruments), with each named after different locations from the world of Game of Thrones.

Djawadi's previous credits include his Grammy-nominated score for 2008’s Iron Man as well as Pacific Rim, Clash Of The Titans and Warcraft and he recently worked on HBO’s Westworld, with bits from that score heard during the countdown to the main show starting. 

The first hour-long set started with an exclamation as soundbites were heard through the speakers and a dry ice fog filled the stage, as the iron throne rose slowly to take its place near the center.  Key moments between well-known characters, done mostly chronologically from the TV series, were shown on screens as the orchestra played. 

Early in the show, a violinist memorably ascended a dais on the Winterfell stage as a translucent sheet fell around her, and the encircling video screens above bloomed with images of branches from inside a Weirwood tree as red leaves fell around her as she played.

Everything in the production was perfectly timed as their combining video clips and dialogue would interlace with the music being performed, with sometimes the video muted and only the audio heard. With the pageantry of the roaming musicians, size of the massive orchestra, special effects, and clips played on the screens, it was often a challenge trying to take all of it in at once, in the very best of ways. 

The crowd that filled the arena’s lower bowl was varied—from younger die-hard fans of the show (some in costume) to older couples perhaps interested in the orchestral music, to everything in-between.  The audience was mostly quiet and respectful; not as much as a pure classical concert, but more so than at a typical arena show. 

‘The Rains of Castamere’ from season three (with Djawadi on hammered dulcimer) was particularly gripping, due to the nature of the scenes, with the music further enhancing it.  Scenes from the show would often seem completely refreshed, watching them presented in this massive format with the live orchestra providing the soundtrack. 

After a twenty minute intermission, the second seventy-minute set began, the story picking up from the halfway point of the series, highlighted by the Battle of Castle Black which takes place in season four.   With a song about the North, a virtual snowstorm took place, both on-screen as well as in the arena as blowers sent the white flakes into the air. 

A soloist came out in a tan dress to sing the song that plays during Cersei’s walk in ‘Mother’s Mercy’ as the crowd echoed what was on screen; chanting “Shame! Shame! Shame!” and soon after, ‘The Battle at Hardhome’ would transition directly into ‘Hold the Door’.

A highlight of the second set was undoubtedly ‘Light of the Seven’, bringing to life when Cersei blows up the Sept of Baelor in the series, with Djawadi on the far stage playing a rising and transforming piano as fire spurted from the stage and screens (with lighting turning it green for the wildfire bits) and the heat easily felt from my seat, halfway up the lower level. 

After covering the moments from the show’s six seasons, the orchestra, conductor, and roving musicians, took their bows to a standing ovation, with Djawadi looking especially happy and relieved that it went so well.

“Every flight begins with a fall” Martin writes in the books, but the only miscues this opening night were a couple minor pixels out on one of the octagonal screens and an overly loud hydraulic rising and lowering on the Winterfell stage. 

Things took a merry and whimsical turn at the end, with an encore-like performance of ‘The Bear and the Maiden Fair’, with Djawadi strolling about with guitar with other musicians playfully singing, "All black and brown, and covered with hair.”

Spoiler’s Notes- there is no reference to the series’ season seven, set to debut on HBO later this summer, as Djawadi has been so busy with other scores and this show, that he has not yet started work on the new score. 

And, if you are not completely caught up on watching the show (like myself), a lot of the key scenes are shown, and the encore doubles as an In Memoriam segment on-screen, showing all the main characters lost along the way. 

That said, Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience was an exhilarating and immersive experience; crucial for any die-hard fans of the show, for anyone that enjoys soundtrack music performed live, and even for the casual fan, as this provides a completely new perspective on the series. 

“The brightest flame casts the darkest shadow” Martin writes in the books- in this case, the live concert can deliver both, in a way you’ve never seen before.

Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience at Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul (20 Feb 2017)

john (johnc@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Pentatonix at Xcel Energy Center, St Paul (26 Oct 2016)

Pentatonix Setlist Cracked Na Na Na Cheerleader (OMI cover) Can't Sleep Love Evolution of Michael Jackson Love Yourself/Where Are U Now (Justin Bieber covers) Jolene (Dolly Parton cover) with Us the Duo Prelude No. 1 by Bach / Kevin's Celloboxing Solo Medley Radioactive (Imagine Dragons cover)/Say Something (A Great Big World cover)/Papaoutai (Stromae cover) Ride (Twenty One Pilots cover) NO (Meghan Trainor cover) Gold Misbehavin' Water Christus Factus Est Aha! (Imogen Heap cover) Daft Punk Rose Gold New Year's Day -- Encore -- Light in the Hallway (without mics) Sing Us the Duo Setlist Goodbye Forever Telephone Safe Ain't No Mountain High Enough (Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell cover) 'Til the Morning Comes No Matter Where You Are (Stop) Just Love Medley Hello (Adele) Cheerleader (OMI), Shut Up and Dance (Walk the Moon), Uma Thurman (Fall Out Boy), See You Again (Charlie Puth), Thinking Out Loud (Ed Sheeran), Take Me to Church (Hozier) Watch Me (Silento), Drag Me Down (OneDirection), Bad Blood (Taylor Swift), I Can’t Feel My Face (The Weeknd), Uptown Funk (Bruno Mars), Jealous (Nick Jonas), Worth It (Fifth Harmony), Hotline Bling (Drake) ABI Setlist Falling 1000 Feelings Confetti Put a Bow on It Truck Candy Don’t Let Me Down (Chainsmokers feat Daya cover) Matches Read More Pentatonix I have been listening to the Pentatonix's second holiday album That's Christmas To Me, which came out earlier in October 2014 via RCA Records. The album is #1 spot on the Holiday Album .… Us the Duo Another act currently catching good buzz, the husband-and-wife Us the Duo opened the evening first, with a brief, but fun 28min. set. Like Tori Kelly, Michael and Carissa Rae Alvarado have taken …

Try turning on the radio and scanning through all the pop and Top 40 stations to hear all the contemporary hits… now imagine those songs without any instruments sung in five-part harmony.

That freshness to the familiar and the original, was the feeling as Texas quintet Pentatonix brought their now arena-sized acapella to a devout 10,000 fans at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

The eclectic evening opened with a short set from Texas native/Nashville-based ABI (aka Abigail Dawn Ann Hoffman), who leans more country and first made an impression with her cover of Taylor Swift's 'Better Than Revenge' and her own 'Future Ex-Boyfriend' from last year's 17 EP (on N Sound Entertainment).

She was last seen in the area at this summer's Country Fest in Cadott, WI and has previously opened for Eli Young Band, Jesse McCartney, and Kelly Clarkson among others.  Not too soon for the holidays, her new single ‘Put a Bow on It’ put things in a Christmas mood, while her playful ‘Truck Candy’ and Chainsmokers cover entertained the all-ages crowd.

Los Angeles folk-pop pair/couple Us the Duo (Carissa and Michael Alvarado) was next, in support of this summer’s Just Love (on their own Alvarado Records) full-length. The pair first gained notice with their quick online Vine clips, which launched them into a full-fledged career. 

In  just a thirty-minute set, the pair managed to play originals including their Johnny/June Cash tribute ‘Til the Morning Comes’, a Marvin Gaye cover, and returned to their online roots with a final medley that covered over fifteen songs, in just a couple minutes.

Pop acapella group Pentatonix (often abbreviated as PTX) from Arlington, Texas (vocalists Avi Kaplan, Scott Hoying, Kirstin Maldonado, Kevin “K.O.” Olusola, and Mitch Grassi) is now in their fifth year, ever growing more successful since their win on NBC’s The Sing Off during its third season. 

The group is out in support of their self-titled album released this time last year, and second Christmas full-length, A Pentatonix Christmas (both on RCA Records) out just last Friday (though they didn’t do any Xmas numbers).

With a three panel screen above them, right and left screens and stage boxes that doubled as mini-screens and platforms, the quintet emerged amidst a cloud of smoke, rising from behind the stage boxes, and all dressed in variations of black and white. 

The mostly younger crowd (no doubt, some of the band’s eleven million+ YouTube subscribers) shrieked to the opening notes of ‘Cracked’ that started their ninety-minute set, followed by ‘Na Na Na’, the opening track from their 2015 album.  An OMI cover was next with the group saying how grateful they were to their fans, followed by their first original, ‘Can’t Sleep Love’. 

Ever humble and thankful, the five showed off their vocal chops in a series of covers, from Justin Bieber to Johnny Cash (w/Us the Duo guesting), to a Michael Jackson medley; full in sound, though without a single musical instrument played.    

Vocalist Kevin Olusola broke that, bringing out his cello for a Bach solo with a unique twist—beatboxing over it with Hoying then joining him for a medley beginning with Imagine Dragons’ ‘Radioactive’. Devoted to their fans, for ‘Misbehavin’, members hand selected crowd members to come and sit with them on bean bag chairs at center stage, to help sing the song. 

Baritone Avi Kaplan (on Twitter as “Bass Cannon”) shone on ‘Water’ alongside Maldonado and on the encore song ‘Lights in the Hallway’, sang as cellphone lights swayed in the air and dim lighting showed the group huddled around a central mic.

‘New Year’s Day’ was introduced as “by Pentatonix and Pentaholics” as fans from all over the world sent in harmony clips and the group integrated them into the song, with the faces of contributors flashing on the video boards. 

The night ended with a joyous ‘Sing’ and original from their 2015 album, the audience clapping along as pastel confetti showered the crowd toward the end.  With a mix of covers and originals, Pentatonix has successfully brought acapella into the arenas, with a loyal and screaming fan base to support them, and the freshness of hearing both their innovative originals and smartly re-interpreted cover songs.

Remaining Tour Dates

Oct. 30 - Columbus, Ohio @ Schottenstein Center
Nov. 03 - Memphis, Tenn. @ FedExForum
Nov. 06 - Auburn Hills, Mich. @ Palace of Auburn Hills
Nov. 07 - Toronto, Canada @ Air Canada Centre
Nov. 09 - Boston, Mass. @ TD Garden
Nov. 10 - Newark, N.J. @ Prudential Center
Nov. 12 - Uncasville, Conn. @ Mohegan Sun Arena
Nov. 13 - Philadelphia, Pa. @ Liacouras Center
Nov. 15 - Greenville S.C. @ Bon Secours Wellness Arena
Nov. 16 - Duluth, Ga. @ Infinite Energy Center
Nov. 17 - New Orleans, La. @ UNO Lakefront Arena
Nov. 19 - Oklahoma City, Okla. @ Chesapeake Energy Arena
Nov. 20 - Dallas, Texas @ American Airlines Center
Nov. 22 - Houston, Texas @ Toyota Center

ABI

Us the Duo

Us the Duo

Pentatonix Setlist

Pentatonix

Pentatonix

Pentatonix

Pentatonix

Pentatonix

Pentatonix

Pentatonix at Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul (26 Oct 2016)

john (johnc@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic