First Avenue in Minneapolis, MN
April 7, 2022
Photos and review by Brett Zisler
What is there to say about the band CLUTCH that hasn’t already been said before? The Maryland natives are no strangers to the stage of First Avenue, but with some tours that played other venues in the area along with the pandemic and it was just short of 6 years since they have played the historic Minneapolis institution. This past Thursday all of that changed when the Doom Saloon arrived and Clutch once again entertained the masses of Minneapolis.
No band did a better job of making the best out of the pandemic situation. Clutch turned to performing numerous live streams with them being recorded to be released on vinyl as limited-edition prints, along with t-shirts, posters and more. Many of the proceeds went to their road crew to help them through the tough time. While it filled the void we all were missing, nothing is quite like a live in person Clutch show.
As the band took the stage to the ever so popular intro song “We Need Some Money,” the smile on vocalist Neil Fallon’s face said it all. Jean-Paul on the drums went into the intro for “Impetus” and from there on out, CLUTCH WAS BACK IN MINNEAPOLIS. If there is one thing the pandemic taught us when it comes to music, it’s how important the live show is to so many. Including the bands. The crowd at First-Avenue never once slowed in their groove as Clutch weaved their through their catalog of songs like “Profits of Doom” “American Sleep” and “How to Shake Hands.”
With it being the return to First Ave, the crowd was also treated to some deeper cuts like “A Shogun Named Marcus” “10,000 witnesses” “The Face” and also the new track “Red Alert (Boss Metal Zone)” It felt like the perfect set to coincide with their first show back at a venue they have been playing since the mid 1990’s. The energy level the band put out was nothing short of fantastic. Everyone knew Clutch had this show circled on their calendar and they delivered.
As the night come to an end, Clutch it put to rest with one of the best ways possible, closing out with “Spacegrass.” Just like every song prior in the evening, the crowd sang back up vocals to Neil Fallon as Tim Sult, Dan Maines and Jean-Paul Gaster brought the music to a conclusion. Clutch left the stage with smiles bigger when they first arrived and so did the crowd. It’s always the sign of a good show when you are walking out and you hear multiple people saying, “I hope they come back soon!”
SEE MORE OF BRETT'S PICTURES FROM CLUTCH HERE!
No comments:
Post a Comment