Concert Reviews
Florence + the Machine Dazzles at Intimate Los Angeles Show: Recap + Setlist
Florence Welch is almost always moving when she performs. With the exception of the occasional sip of water or a dramatic pose at the end of each song, the bewitching British singer-songwriter is constantly on her feet, her body nimbly maximizing as much space on stage as humanly possible, all while singing with unshakable gusto. Many were lucky enough to both witness Welch’s captivating moves and hear her signature guttural mezzo-soprano alongside her backing band The Machine at the 2,000-capacity Los Angeles Theatre on Friday evening (April 29th), the first stop on her 2022 North American tour. Of course, Welch’s flailing, skipping, twirling, and air punching served more than just a function of spectacle. Florence + the Machine’s upcoming record Dance Fever (out May 13th) drew inspiratio...
The Who Kick Off 2022 North American Tour in Florida: Recap + Setlist
When it comes to playing guitar, Pete Townshend makes it look easy. Noodling up and down the frets and whipping his right arm about for a round of his signature windmills, he still looks every bit the rock star who once dramatically smashed his instrument onstage in a bid to outperform Jimi Hendrix at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival. “This is what I do,” boasted The Who’s mastermind at the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida on Friday night (April 22nd), as he kicked into the recognizable guitar groove of the band’s “Who Are You.” It was the ninth song from a cathartic 24-song set on the first night of “The Who Hits Back!” tour (grab tickets via Ticketmaster), and the band’s first proper concert in more than two years. The setlist mirrored that of 2019’s “Moving On!” tour, and for good rea...
Lorde’s “Solar Power Tour” Lights Up Radio City Music Hall: Recap, Photos + Setlist
She has risen. Lorde returned to the stage in New York City — on Easter Monday, no less — just days after postponing a number of shows due to laryngitis. Maybe there was some residual throatiness to the Kiwi pop megastar, but it barely registered. The beauty of her full-fledged “Solar Power Tour” production at the iconic Radio City Music Hall was enough to cure any ill feelings. Talking about “post-pandemic live music” is already becoming cliché, but we can’t discount how the last two years impacted performances. On one hand there are acts like Lorde’s opener, former Artist of the Month Remi Wolf. Here’s someone who broke out during a lockdown where the only music absorption came via streams and TikToks. Now, with touring back in full swing, she’s playing Radio City. Think about the mental...
The Killers Kick Off “Imploding the Mirage Tour” with Raucous Hometown Gig in Vegas: Recap + Photos
It has been said there is nothing quite like a Killers show in Las Vegas, and that statement will echo three times over to sold-out crowds April 15th, 16th and 17th as the city’s unofficial “house band” launches the “Imploding The Mirage Tour” at The Chelsea in The Cosmopolitan. For Friday’s opening night, The Killers showed up with everything which has endeared them to their hometown crowd for more than two decades—a jumping, pumping, sing-along dance party for 3,200 brothers and sisters, neighbors and friends. Frontman Brandon Flowers, backed by drummer Ronnie Vannucci, Jr., and guitarist Dave Keuning delivered a 90-minute, soulful, thunderous, biographical musical journey, performing songs from six of the band’s seven studio albums. (Absent from the setlist, Wonderful Wonderful). Roundi...
BTS Take Their “PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE” Concert to Las Vegas: Recap, Photos + Setlist
Las Vegas may be a good time gal, but she isn’t easy. The self-proclaimed “Entertainment Capital of the World” is accustomed to hosting countless entertainers. And perhaps because there’s always another visiting celeb, the city rolls out her red carpet for no one… that is, until BTS arrived in Sin City. In this case, it was a purple carpet, and it blanketed the city in excitement. In honor of a sold-out, four-night run at Allegiant Stadium (April 8th-9th and 15th-16th) titled PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE IN LAS VEGAS, the iconic Bellagio Fountain Show has been playing BTS hits, while Strip marquees display the word “Borahaegas” in a purple-hued nod to the group. But that’s just the beginning of a city-wide immersive event, or “urban concert playpark,” called BTS PERMISSION TO DANCE THE CIT...
Jack White Kicks Off Tour — and Gets Married — in Detroit: Review
At the Masonic Temple Theatre in Detroit on Friday night, at the tail end of the first show in support of his new solo album, Fear of the Dawn; hours after performing a jagged, silvery version of the National Anthem at Opening Day for the Tigers; and in-between verses of a whomping “Hotel Yorba,” Jack White turns to Olivia Jean, a member of The Black Belles and one of two acts who opened for White that night, and says, “I got a little question for you, Olivia Jean.” Then he’s proposing, sliding a ring onto her hand while, with her other hand, she’s covering her mouth, nodding, crying, and he smiles, turns back to the microphone, and erupts into the sixth verse of the song: “LET’S GET MARRIED!” The dudes around me are feeling it: they’ve got their beers in the air and they’re yelling “Woooo...
Olivia Rodrigo Kicks Off Her “Sour Tour” in Portland, Oregon: Photos + Setlist
Olivia Rodrigo was already a two-time Grammy winner before she’d even had her own tour. Not the typical order of operations for artists, but Rodrigo is a new kind of pop star. With her Best New Artist gramophone in tow, the “drivers license” singer finally launched her first-ever headlining tour on Tuesday, April 5th at Portland, Oregon’s Theater of the Clouds — and our photographer Dan Garcia was there to capture it all. The “Sour Tour” kick-off concert featured an entire (if out of order) run-through of the album of the same name — not surprising as Sour is Rodrigo’s only LP. The setlist was padded with a pair of covers: Avril Lavigne’s “Complicated” (in honor of “the pop-punk princess herself,” as Rodrigo put it) and Veruca Salt’s “Seether.” Below, find a photo gallery of Olivia Ro...
Bon Jovi Kick Off Spring 2022 Tour in Omaha: Photos, Recap + Setlist
Arena rock is a genre of music that will never die, as long as crowds convene inside hockey arenas around the country to sing along to our favorite anthems from our favorite artists. That’s exactly what took place when Bon Jovi kicked off their 2022 tour in Omaha, NE at the CHI Health Center on Friday, April 1st, for their first public in-person concert since the pandemic started. Ione, a singer from Sioux City, IA, was the contest winner of the opening slot for the Omaha tour date. With a full backing band — two guitar players, a bassist, a drummer, and a keyboardist — Ione filled the arena with her soulful voice, reminding one of ‘70s singer-songwriters like Linda Ronstadt and Stevie Nicks. She emitted a free-spirited energy on stage, and captivated the audience with her pure, unadultera...
Greta Van Fleet Kick Off 2022 Tour in Michigan: Recap + Setlist
Greta Van Fleet opened their “Dreams in Gold” tour in Kalamazoo on Thursday (March 10th), kicking off the run in their homeland of Michigan with the first of five dates in the state. With support from the Rival Sons and Velveteers, Greta Van Fleet left the Wings Event Center with a distinct taste of rock and a night to remember. First, The Velveteers took to the stage, opening with “Motel #27.” The Colorado trio, led by singer Demi Demitro, set the mood for an energetic evening; Demitro thrashed appropriately as she sang about a hazy and uneasy world of loving. Next was Long Beach, California’s Rival Sons, who also held their own in a competition of which opener could wow fans the quickest. For those unfamiliar with the five-piece, they are old enough to have a few grays, and cool enough t...
Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak Kick Off Silk Sonic Las Vegas Residency: Recap + Setlist
Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak) began their Las Vegas residency on Friday (February 25th), transforming the Dolby Live theater at Park MGM into a seventies disco. The superduo — whose live appearances have thus far been limited to awards shows — threw what might just be the sexiest dance party Sin City has ever seen. The mood for “An Evening With Silk Sonic” was set from the get-go, as wisps of fog spilled out from under a red velvet curtain while guests settled into their seats. When the venue went dark, signaling the start of the show, the crowd roared in unison. Two screens on opposite sides of the stage flashed images of Silk Sonic sipping cocktails in a tropical setting with flowery button-up shirts, while a giant disco ball hung high above the seats. As the curtain lifted,...
Clairo Brings the Intimacy of Sling to Radio City Music Hall: Review, Setlist + Photos
Clairo’s 2021 sophomore album Sling is an album of closeness, immediacy, and contemplation; it is turned inward, but the moments that burst out do so like snowfall, and even the warmest, brightest choices are dripped in a haze, like you just woke up and the sun is shining through the corner of your window. So, hearing it performed live in the 6,000-capacity Radio City Music Hall on Thursday night (February 24th) is a little strange. The whimsy and intimacy of Sling almost suggests it should be performed in a cozy cabin somewhere in the woods, but Clairo’s remarkable rise to stardom has proven that the upgrade in venue size is deserved. Considering that Clairo’s debut album Immunity came out only six months before the pandemic began, as well as the fact that her biggest single to date, “Sof...
Ghost and Volbeat Bring the Fire in the Home of the Devils: Recap + Photos
You might not expect a rock or metal show to kick off with a saxophone rhythm that slaps, but that was the first sound the fans at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, heard onstage as Twin Temple began to play on Thursday night (February 10th). Vocalist Alexandra James and her husband, guitarist Zachary James, took to the stage in an opening ritual with swords and all. The singer asked for Satan to burn down sexism, racism and ignorance. If the big man downstairs is wise, he’ll heed her request. Alexandra’s vibe is part Elvira, with the soulful essence of an Amy Winehouse, and a sprinkle of a Lars von Trier film — but she has created an innovative style that is all her own. The height of her beehive hair was impressive, but nothing could outmatch her vocal talent as she belted out...
