LIVE REVIEW :: GODSMACK / VOLBEAT / STITCHED UP HEART @ THE ARMORY

LIVE REVIEW :: GODSMACK / VOLBEAT / STITCHED UP HEART
THE ARMORY in Minneapolis, MN
04/22/19

GODSMACK weren't messing around when they brought their headlining tour to MN. Not only was this their first appearance at The Armory but bringing VOLBEAT and STITCHED UP HEART with made this show an easy sell out.

The Armory allows a band like Godsmack to bring an arena level show into a (bigger) club like setting. This was definately felt with the fire in the opening "When Legends Rise" and "1000hp", which sound massive live compared to the recorded versions. Just in those two songs alone, you can tell this is a band that hasn't lost any ounce of passion for this as when they came screaming out of the gate back in 1998. "Keep Away" came in the set early and is still a huge crowd sing along.

The mid-set drum battle between Sully and Shannon ("batalla de los tambores") is always fun to watch as it leads in to a still heavy version of "Whatever".

While one would think "Whatever" was the closer, they still cranked out three more songs before closing with "I Stand Alone" ....and even more fire!

These 4 guys still put on one hell of a live show that gives you your money worth and keeps old fans coming back and made plenty of new fans. Some of those old fans brought their kids out and it's always great seeing families rocking out together!

VOLBEAT brought a new stage show out for their return appearance since they played a couple of blocks away opening a new stadium. They cranked out a well balanced set of crowd favorites and newer material from "Seal the Deal & Let's Boogie". It's still a lot of fun hearing the crowd yell out "Let's get ready to rumble!" at the beginning of "A Warrior's Call" and ending the night with "Still Counting". Excited to see what Michael, Rob, Jon and Kaspar do on the next full length!

STITCHED UP HEART tried out 4 new songs from their long awaited follow up to "Never Alone" that will hopefully be out sooner than later. Mixi and the boys sounded amazing on their overdue return to MN. While we did miss "Monster", a special appearance from Sully Erna on the set closer and new single "Lost" definately made up for it and definately made a lot of new fans.

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 04/26/19 - GOODNIGHT RITUAL

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 04/26/19
GUESTS :: GOODNIGHT RITUAL

HOUR 1
PRINCE - "let's go crazy" // purple rain
LIZZO - "cuz I love you" // cuz I love you
AVERAGE MAMMALS - "nothing" // nothing - single
COLD KINGDOM - "a new disaster" // a new disaster - single
LEDGER - "not dead yet" // ledger
SKILLET - "feel invincible" // unleashed
THE DAMNED THINGS - "invincible" // high crimes (pick of the week)

GOODNIGHT RITUAL - "across the fields" // galore
GOODNIGHT RITUAL - "all my hands" // galore
LATE NIGHT FIGHTS - "the whole world" // bliss
GOODNIGHT RITUAL - "international" // galore

HOUR 2
VIA - "appetite" // after you drown
GOODNIGHT RITUAL - "the door" // galore
HOUSTON - "cover" // overhead
BARONESS - "borderlines" // gold and grey
ERIS - "the roche limit" // formation

SAUL - "brother" // aeons
FEVER 333 - "walking in my shoes" // made an america
JINJER - "perennial" // micro
COMMON CHOIR - "dive bar knight life" // self inflicted famine
AFTER THE BURIAL - "behold the crown" // evergreen
ARCHITECTS - "hereafter" // holy hell
RAMMSTEIN - "radio" // rammstein

**SPECIAL THANKS to GOODNIGHT RITUAL for calling in to the Midwest Beatdown this week! GOODNIGHT RITUAL's fantastic new album "Galore" is out now!

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 04/19/19 - HALESTORM

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 04/19/19
KMSU SPRING PLEDGE DRIVE
GUESTS :: HALESTORM

HOUR 1
COLD KINGDOM - "a new disaster" // a new disaster - single
EMERGENT - "erode" // emergent
EAON - "fan the flame" // eaon - ep
ANGRY WATERS - "ours to be had" // angry waters III
LAKE AVENUE - "loose teeth" // hell or high expectations
GOODNIGHT RITUAL - "across the fields" // galore
LIZZO - "cuz I love you" // cuz I love you

ERIS - "the roche limit" // formation
HALESTORM - "mayhem" // into the wild life
HALESTORM - "uncomfortable" // vicious
HALESTORM - "vicious" // vicious

HOUR 2
STITCHED UP HEART feat SULLY ERNA - "lost" // lost - single
GODSMACK - "when legends rise" // when legends rise
THROW THE FIGHT - "echoes" // echoes - single
MOTIONLESS IN WHITE - "disguise" // disguise
GABRIEL AND THE APOCALYPSE - "counting scars" // alpha bionic
SEVENDUST - "God bites his tongue" // all I see is war
OLD TOWNE GHOSTS - "knight boat" // the old ones are and forever shall be
WARROOSTER - "hyperdrive" // demo

RAD OWL - "hannah barbera" // Madison beast
THE DAMNED THINGS - "something good" // high crimes
MUTOID MAN - "melt your mind" // war moans
STANDING ALLIANCE - "revisions" // revisions
CLUTCH - "gimme the keys" // book of bad decisions
AVATAR - "a statue of the king" // avatar country
AMON AMARTH - "crack the sky" // bezerker

**SPECIAL THANKS to LZZY and JOE from HALESTORM for sitting down with the Midwest Beatdown this week! HALESTORM's newest album Vicious is out now on Atlantic Records! Catch HALESTORM the next time they roll thru the area - they are always amazing live!

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 04/12/19 - GABRIEL AND THE APOCALYPSE

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 04/12/19
GUESTS :: GABRIEL AND THE APOCALYPSE

HOUR 1
THROW THE FIGHT – “echoes” // echoes - single
THE MAYBERRY RIOT – “fight” // unbalance
FEVER 333 – “burn it” // strength in numb333rs
DIVIDE THE FALL – “stay” // stay – single
ARMS FOR ELEPHANTS – “vagrant” // all rise
GABRIEL AND THE APOCALYPSE – “systematic chaos” // alpha bionic

GABRIEL AND THE APOCALYPSE – “beds are burning” // alpha bionic
SLEEP SIGNALS – “I’ll save you” // at the end of the world
GABRIEL AND THE APOCALYPSE – “cellophane nation” // alpha bionic
MY ZERO – “can’t lose control” // can’t lose control - single

HOUR 2
GABRIEL AND THE APOCALYPSE – “counting scars” // alpha bionic
HALESTORM – “skulls” // vicious
GOODNIGHT RITUAL - "across the fields" // galore
ALICE IN CHAINS – “the one you know” // rainer fog
SAUL - "brother" // aeons
LET IT BREATHE - "second hit" // let it breathe
BARONESS – “seasons” // gold & grey

GOJIRA – “only pain” // magma
KNOCKED LOOSE – “mistakes like fractures” // mistakes like fractures
PERIPHERY – “sentient glow" // periphery IV: hail stan
AMON AMARTH – “raven’s flight” // bezerker
ENEMY X – “crawl” // enemy x
RAMMSTEIN – “Deutschland” // rammstein
VEIN - "rebirth protocol" // errorzone

**SPECIAL THANKS to LINDY from GABRIEL AND THE APOCALYPSE for calling in to the Midwest Beatdown this week! GABRIEL AND THE APOCALYPSE's new album "Alpha Bionic" is out now on Pavement Entertainment. GABRIEL AND THE APOCALYPSE CD release party is on May 25 at The Cabooze in Minneapolis with SLEEP SIGNALS, MY ZERO, MITHYA and MONDALE RIOT!

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 04/05/19 - LAKE AVENUE

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 04/05/19
GUESTS :: LAKE AVENUE

HOUR 1
GABRIEL AND THE APOCALYPSE - "systematic chaos" // alpha bionic
ARMS FOR ELEPHANTS - "vagrant" // all rise
DIVIDE THE FALL - "our existence" // divide the fall ep
AM TAXI - "stuck around" // shiver by me
LAKE AVENUE - "like I used to" // hell or high expectations
LAKE AVENUE - "colorblind" // hell or high expectations

LAKE AVENUE - "some love" // hell or high expectations
LAKE AVENUE - "loose teeth" // hell or high expectations
DIVIDING EDEN - "forever" // giants
HEROES OF HEARTACHE - "archetype" // archetype - single
RAD OWL - "sometime before april" // madison beast

HOUR 2
RAMMSTEIN - "Deutschland" // rammstein
HALESTORM - "vicious" // vicious
ARROWS AT DAWN - "let live" // pieces
BEARTOOTH - "you never know" // disease
ENEMY X - "dirt" // enemy x
BLUE FELIX - "hate inside" // battling gravity
ALICE IN CHAINS - "rainer fog" // rainer fog
LOVEBITES - "break the wall" // battle against damnation

PERIPHERY - "sentient glow" // periphery IV: hail stan
KNOCKED LOOSE - "mistakes like fractures" // mistakes like fractures 7 inch
ITHACA - "impulse crush" // the language of injury
YEAR OF THE KNIFE - "fatal" // ultimate aggression
PYRALIS - "daggers" // everything is emptiness
AFTER THE BURIAL - "behold the crown" // evergreen
REAPING ASMODEIA - "of talons and teeth" // impuritize

**SPECIAL THANKS to JASON from LAKE AVENUE for calling in to the Midwest Beatdown this week!! LAKE AVENUE's new album "Hell or High Expectations" is out now on Statusfear Media! CD release tonight (4/6) at Mortimer's in Mpls with PIERRE and AMERICAN REVIVAL (21+ show)!!

LIVE REVIEW :: BARONESS @ Skyway Theater 03/29/19

LIVE REVIEW :: BARONESS with DEAFHEAVEN and ZEAL & ARDOR
SKYWAY THEATER in Minneapolis, MN
03/29/19

This was a very well crafted bill with 3 bands that are very beloved and fans are very passionate about. Zeal and Ardor came out and played a straight ahead, 10 song - 35 minute set with no breaks in between songs that had the crowd completely enriched in their sound. Deafheaven had a very interesting 7 song – 75 minute set that had a lot of fans in the crowd completely engaged from start to finish. I was expecting some of the crowd to leave after Deafheaven which is normally what you would see on this co-headlining runs. This was not the case tonight.

Coming out to a hero’s welcome, Baroness was overdue to return to Minneapolis. Each band member came to the stage with a big smile on their face. Coming from only seeing a 30 minute festival set from them to their own headline set, I was expecting great things from this full experience.

Vocalist and Guitarist John Baizley dominated the stage like a professional wrestler wielding his guitar like a title belt. The band strongly rounded out by three fantastic musicians - guitarist Gina Gleason, bassist Nick Jost and Sebastian Thomson on drums. You would be hard pressed to find another band with the precision musicianship that these four deliver tonight.

Diving into “A Horse Called Golgotha” from the Blue Record and then launching into “Morningstar” from Purple - the harmonies that John, Gina and Nick bring forth are astonishing! Up next, “March to the Sea” from Yellow & Green and now you really could hear the crowd was singing along with every song. While this shouldn't shock anyone familiar with their music, the interludes work beautifully live leading into different songs than where they are placed on their respective records. “Green Theme” worked perfectly going into “Chlorine and Wine” and the best of the night being “Ogeechee Hymnal” into “The Sweetest Curse” later in the set.

John and Gina's intertwined vocals shined brightest on the only new song in the set, “Borderlines”, from the new album Gold & Grey coming out June 14 on their own Abraxan Hymns label. This led into a stunning "If I Have to Wake Up (Would You Stop the Rain?)" that tops the recorded version on Purple. The smiles from all 4 members never ended all night with Nick grinning like the Cheshire cat throughout the entire set.

The show came to a close with their guitar tech bringing out a beautiful 12 and 6 string guitar for John to bring the fury of “Isak” into a faster (than normal) “Take My Bones Away” that seemed as much of a celebration for the band and fans as it did bringing the set to a close.

If Baroness comes back around, do not miss it. They are one of the best live bands out there right now that deliver what you hear on the record in a live setting with no backing tracks. If they ever does a 2 hour "Evening with" type of set, take my money now! The price of admission will pay dividends by song 2.

SEE MORE OF BRETT'S BARONESS PHOTOS HERE!!

BARONESS' setlist

A Horse Called Golgotha
Morningstar
March to the Sea
Green Theme
Chlorine and Wine
Borderlines
If I Have to Wake Up (Would You Stop the Rain?)
Fugue
Eula
Shock Me
Ogeechee Hymnal
The Sweetest Curse
Isak
Take My Bones Away

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 03/29/19 - FIGHT THE FURY / SKILLET

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 03/29/19
GUESTS :: FIGHT THE FURY & SKILLET

HOUR 1
FIGHT THE FURY - "my demons" // still breathing
SKILLET - "feel invincible" // unleashed
FIGHT THE FURY - "still burning" // still breathing
UNDEROATH - "on my teeth" // erase me

SKILLET - "the resistance" // unleashed
FIGHT THE FURY - "lose hold of it all" // still breathing
BREAKING BENJAMIN - "sugarcoat" // saturate
LEDGER - "not dead yet" // ledger - ep
SKILLET feat LACEY STURM - "breaking free" // unleashed beyond
LACEY STURM - "I'm not laughing" // life screams

HOUR 2
COLD KINGDOM - "the break" // cold kingdom
EMERGENT - "home" // home - single
ROYAL TUSK - "northern town" // tusk II
JUSTIN COURTNEY PIERRE - "sooner" // in the drink
GOING TO THE SUN - "new year" // going to the sun
WEEZER - "paranoid" // the teal album
TURNSTILE - "real thing" // time and space
TURNSTILE - "big smile" // time and space
ATMOSPHERE feat deM atlaS - "finer things" // Frida Kahlo vs. Ezra Pound

THE INTERRUPTERS feat RANCID - "got each other" // fight the good fight
THE DAMNED THINGS - "cells" // high crimes
THROW THE FIGHT - "awakening" // awakening - single
3 PILL MORNING - "the hunted" // never look back
THE MAYBERRY RIOT - "fight" // unbalance
DEMON HUNTER - "grey matter" // war
T.R.O.Y. - "revolution" // two worlds
FLIPP - "just let it be" // flipp (20th anniversary platnium edition)

**SPECIAL THANKS to JOHN from FIGHT THE FURY and SKILLET for sitting down with the Midwest Beatdown this week! FIGHT THE FURY's new EP "Still Breathing" is out now on Atlantic Records! SKILLET's new album will be out this summer on Atlantic Records!