CLUTCH are kings of the album playthrough at the Myth!

CONCERT REVIEW :: CLUTCH
9/29/24
Myth, Maplewood, MN
Photos by Brett Zisler
Review by Nick

CLUTCH returned in glorious form to the Myth in Maplewood, MN to celebrate 20 years of their stellar record “Blast Tyrant” on the Two Headed Monster co-headline tour with Rival Sons and opener Black Stone Cherry. This long fan favorite record was a perfect choice to celebrate by playing in full front to back just like on the album.

As a long time fan of CLUTCH getting to see “Blast Tyrant” played in it’s entirety was a treat in itself and well worth the price of the ticket right there. The album comes out swinging with a nice little intro jam of “Mercury” that sees guitarist Tim Sult, bassist Dan Maines and drummer Jean-Paul Gaster getting a little warm up before slamming in for the second half of the track with vocalist extraodinare Neil Fallon joining in on the fun. The band driving straight into “Profits of Doom”, Clutch brings the funk and groove to the proceedings and the crowd ate it up. The always enjoyable “The Mob Goes Wild” comes along with plenty of sing alongs from the crowd. I always look forward to hearing “Cypress Grove” live and tonight’s version did not disappoint in the slightest.

The crowd tonight was well versed in Blast Tyrant and enjoyed taking the ride through the full album with songs that maybe haven’t been in CLUTCH set lists for a little bit like “Worm Drink,” “Army of Bono”, “Spleen Merchant” and “Ghost”. “Subtle Hustle” was another standout track from the evening continuing on the sets infectous grooves. “Ghost” was a nice change of pace during the set and one that I don’t know if I’ve ever seen Clutch play previous to tonight. Which brings in the point, is there anything in the Clutch catalog that Clutch can’t pull off live?! Clutch really pulled an ace out of their sleeve playing this track with ease. There had to be practice involved but I don’t believe there’s a song in the catalog that they couldn’t crank out in a flash if the moment of inspiration strikes.

Now the “bonus tracks” for the evening, Clutch brought out some deep cuts from earlier albums to much delight from the crowd. Beginning with “Binge and Purge” and going in to “El Jefe Speaks”, the crowd was here for it and were entranced as Neil Fallon worked the crowd making sure everyone in the crowd got a moment of the vocalist’s attention. In the area where I was standing, concert goers got excited when they launched in to “The Soapmakers” from The Elephant Riders (an album that definitely needs to be reissued or re-recorded and released) which sounded stellar tonight. “A Shogun Named Marcus” showed up for a 3 minutes of pure rock fury before ending the set with a song everyone could agree on, the legendary “Spacegrass”.

CLUTCH continues to be one of the best live rock and roll bands touring today with amazing chemistry that only happens when these guys pick up their instruments together in a room. An amazing sense of musicianship that can not be duplicated, making instant grooves that take you along on a journey to the ends of the Earth and back on vinyl from side A to side B just like they do from opener to closer live. Do yourself a favor and catch CLUTCH when they come thru town next and you’ll be racing for the merch line at the end of the set too.

SEE MORE of BRETT's PHOTOS OF CLUTCH and RIVAL SONS HERE!

CONCERT REVIEW :: CLUTCH rattles the Palace!

CONCERT REVIEW :: CLUTCH, DINOSAUR JR, RED FANG
PALACE THEATER, St. Paul, MN
Aug 2, 2023
Photos by Brett Zisler
Review by Nick

CLUTCH brought their No Stars To Guide Tour 2023 to the Palace Theater on Aug 2 for what just might be the loudest concert I've been to in a long time! Not too many things feel better than a PA system cranked to the max with one of your favorite bands playing in front of you. Hands down, the best concert I've seen CLUTCH play. The set flew by and was packed with gems from throughout their entire catalog.

It would be hard to find a band that plays as tight together live as CLUTCH. These are masters of their professions. Neil Fallon is one of the best front people out there period. Tim Sult makes a guitar sing like none other. Dan Maines crafts groovy bass lines with ease. Jean-Paul Gaster lays the beats down with swagger. Put all 4 pieces of the puzzle together and you got one of the best rock shows your money can buy.

CLUTCH came out swinging with "The Mob Goes Wild" right in to "Earth Rocker" and everyone in that crowd knew they were in for a treat tonight. Newer songs like "Slaughter Beach" and "We Strive for Excellence" fit in seamlessly with crowd favorites "Burning Beard" and "Electric Worry". "Electric Worry" even got quite the mosh pit going and you could see the smile on Neil's face from anywhere in the room.

This is also the loudest I've heard the crowd yell and sing back to Clutch making the show that much more electric. I can only hope that this show becomes a release in their series of "The PA Tapes" that they are releasing as this was a show worth reliving over and over again. A setlist that can't be beat mixed with a band in the highest of top form.

RED FANG also delievered a foot to the floor face paced 30 minute opening set filled with the best of their catolog. It's been since 2018 that RED FANG was last in the area and they surely made up for the time apart. Cranking right in to "Blood Like Cream" starting off their set with precision. "Crows in Swine", "Arrows" and a crowd favorite "Wires" came in to the set before wrapping up with the classic "Prehistoric Dog". RED FANG was truly the best choice for an opening act for CLUTCH. They brought the riffs and packed it in to a nice, neat 30 min set that left the crowd begging for more.

SEE MORE OF BRETT'S PICTURES FROM CLUTCH AT THE PALACE THEATER HERE!!

CLUTCH RECLAIMS THEIR THRONE AS KINGS OF FIRST AVENEUE

CONCERT REVIEW :: CLUTCH
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!

CLUTCH and HATEBREED tear it down and go wild at the Myth!

CONCERT REVIEW: DROPKICK MURPHYS, CLUTCH, HATEBREED, AMIGO THE DEVIL
Myth in Maplewood, MN
October 1, 2019
Photos by Brett Zisler

When this tour was announced – you knew it was a show you cleared your calendar for. DROPKICK MURPHYS and CLUTCH teamed up for a co-headlining fall tour bringing out HATEBREED with them along to make this an unforgettable package with AMIGO THE DEVIL opening. Those 3 bands can all headline on their own (and have headlined this very venue on their own) but by teaming up this is a show for music fans of all types. Not to mention one they will probably never see again!

CLUTCH came out and launched right in to “How to Shake Hands” and instantly had the crowd engaged. Neil Fallon was all over the stage being the terrific energetic frontman that convinced even the toughest Dropkick fan. Tim Suit was riffing in fantastic form and probably the closest to the edge of the stage as I've ever seen him. Dan Maines and Jean-Paul Gaster were laying down the groove thick. This is seriously one of the tightest bands in the business. I stood there in awe most of the night just watching Jean-Paul bring the beat.

Stirring up the crowd real early with "The Mob Goes Wild" the set never had a lull. Clutch was bringing fan favorite after fan favorite tonight. "X-Ray Visions" went straight into "Firebirds!" which brought us to "Gimme the Keys" before giving us a little bit of a breather after "Burning Beard"! This is where I saw Clutch win over some Dropkick fans. That's seriously fun to watch when a band makes a new fan.

I don't know who's set went by quicker Hatebreed 30's minute set or Clutch's near perfect 60 minutes. While I was disappointed we weren't treated to "Evil" or "Precious and Grace" from their new Weathermaker Vault Series, we did get "Willie Nelson"! "Electric Worry" was raging but it seems weird not be followed up by "One Eyed Dollar" but we got perhaps the best version of "Rats" I've yet to hear!

I saw lots of extra mics on stage so I'm hoping this means a new live record as this is the best Clutch has ever sounded. This band has been on fire touring in support of Book of Bad Decisions and that's saying something with as massive as this band's catalog is and as much of a stand out live band they are.

HATEBREED had a quick 30 minute set compromised of 9 songs. (I still think they got 10 in but I can't remember the extra song they played either) "To the Threshold" and "Live for This" got the pits running real early! The band didn't have a whole lot of room on stage but they brought it a little harder to make up for not being able to move around much. One of these days they'll get me out of mosh retirement and in retrospect, this probably would've been the perfect time.

"Before Dishonor" and "Empty Promises" made the set from Satisfaction for all the people around in '97 and they brought it all the way to their recent release with the big pit turner "Looking Down the Barrel of Today"! While I miss Jasta just calling out the songs, it was good to see them stick to the same set list to make the most of their 30 minutes to get the crowd amped up for Clutch and Dropkick Murphys! Leaving the stage, they said they'd be back next year with a new album. Can't flippin wait!

The only disappointing factor in the show was the long waits in between bands. HATEBREED had the crowd amp'd up but then had to wait 30 minutes for CLUTCH to come out. Then there was 40 minutes between CLUTCH and DROPKICK MURPHYS to where the fans were getting extremely antsy waiting for The Boys to come back looking for trouble. In the end, everyone definitely got the price of their ticket and then some from this once in a lifetime bill! If this tour hasn't went thru yet and you got a chance to go, don't miss it! You'll kick yourself after words if you're not there.

SEE MORE OF BRETT's CLUTCH, HATEBREED and AMIGO THE DEVIL PICTURES HERE!

CLUTCH's set list
How to Shake Hands
Ghoul Wrangler
The Mob Goes Wild
H.B. is in Control
X-Ray Visions
Firebirds!
Gimme the Keys
Burning Beard
Vision Quest
Spirit of ‘76
In Walks Barbarella
Willie Nelson
Electric Worry
Rats

HATEBREED's set list
To The Threshold
Live for This
Before Dishonor
Last Breath
This is Now
Destroy Everything
Empty Promises
Looking Down the Barrel of Today
I Will Be Heard

CLUTCH kicks off the "Book of Bad Decisions" US Tour in MN!

CLUTCH, SEVENDUST, TYLER BRYANT AND THE SHAKEDOWN

Myth in Maplewood, MN

September 18, 2018

CLUTCH kicked off the "Book of Bad Decisions" US Tour on Sept 18 at the Myth in Maplewood, MN bringing SEVENDUST and TYLER BRYANT AND THE SHAKEDOWN with them as one of fall's must see tours! CLUTCH and SEVENDUST have very die hard fan bases and teaming them up together brings in new fans for both bands as was evident with this first show of the tour!

TYLER BRYANT AND THE SHAKEDOWN played a very solid set of rambunctious rock and roll. We only caught the last two songs but this is a band that you should have on your radar to check out the next time you can. This band is only going to get more solid!

What can be said about SEVENDUST and CLUTCH that haven't been said before. Both bands have phenomenal yet different live shows.

SEVENDUST came swinging right out of the gate with "Enemy" into "Face to Face". Usually saved for last "Face to Face" showed up second song in the set and was still a barn burner!

SEVENDUST launched right into "Denial" before making way for the only new song of the set, the new single "Unforgiven". "Unforgiven" is classic Sevendust with trade off's between LJ and Morgan.

Somewhere around this point, LJ made a joke about Morgan having his whole condo up on stage while the rest of the band has smaller piece of real estate on the stage. But really it wouldn't be a Sevendust show without Morgan stomping and beating that entire kit!

SEVENDUST went back to the first self titled album for "Too Close To Hate" which feels like forever since I've heard that live. Then to my favorite Sevendust album of all time Home for "Waffle"!

When you only have 45 minutes, a lot of favorites are going to be left off the set list. Closing out with "Bitch" and then "Thank You", it just left the crowd wanting more! While I could list off a bunch of great Sevendust closing songs, there was no "Black" which I figured would be the show closer. Sevendust please come back sooner than later!

CLUTCH

Another thing that can be said of both Sevendust and Clutch is that they both have huge discographies with many great songs and they both are riding high with phenomenal new albums. Book of Bad Decisions as an album screams to be played live. Clutch did not disappoint playing SEVEN songs from the new album! (That’s pretty much half of the new album). The rest of the set list came from throughout the band’s extensive catalog.

Starting off with “Gimmie the Keys” and running into “Vision Quest” .. if the rest of this show kept on pace, we are all in for a treat tonight. Playing a song I hadn’t thought about in a while “The House That Peterbilt” showed up in the set from the self titled album. That’s one thing I’ve learned over the last couple years, Clutch will always throw you a curve ball and it’s quite exciting when they do!

“How to Shake Hands” got a big reaction from the crowd and how could you not with those lyrics! Neil made a quick joke stating the next song was about the first time he ran for president and went into “El Jefe Speaks”. I still get as excited to hear “The Mob Goes Wild” as when I first heard it years and years ago. “Hot Bottom Feeder” got Neil laughing stating that’s the first time he’s seen people mosh to recipe. Ending the main set with the sweet sounds of the cowbell on “D.C. Sound Attack” and getting everyone all excited with the combo of “Electric Worry” and “X-Ray Visions” before sending the crowd on their way.

If you get a chance to see this tour, do not miss it! This is one of the most satisfying tours I've seen in a while. Just plain fun front to back. Everyone had a great time and enjoyed their time at the show. I left feeling refreshed and that's exactly how a great show should make you feel! There’s not a whole lot of bands as tight and on point as Clutch and Sevendust and this tour is victory for the bands and fans alike!

CLUTCH's set list at the Myth

GIMMIE THE KEYS
VISION QUEST
NOBLE SAVAGE
THE HOUSE THAT PETERBILT
BOOK OF BAD DECISIONS
HOW TO SHAKE HANDS
EL JEFE SPEAKS
FIREBIRDS
THE MOB GOES WILD
THE ELEPHANT RIDERS
HOT BOTTOM FEEDER
BARBARELLA
LORELEI
THE FACE
D.C. SOUND ATTACK
----
ELECTRIC WORRY
X-RAY VISIONS

SEE MORE OF BRETT's PICTURES FROM CLUTCH and SEVENDUST at the MYTH HERE!

CLUTCH and PRIMUS bring extra rock to the Vetter Stone Amphitheater!

We couldn’t have asked for a better night for an outdoor rock and roll concert. I’ll second what Neil Fallon of Clutch said during their set “Thank you Mother Nature!” The weather was perfect. Not too hot and the sun was out.

Vetter Stone Amphitheater is a beautiful outdoor venue in the heart of Old Town Mankato. Free parking was a very nice bonus. The staff is amazing. The sightlines are unbelievable. If you have a spot in the seated area of the bowl of the amphitheater you had a great view of the stage.

First up, we were treated to a grand performance by the phenomenal Clutch! This is a band that I heard about years ago with “Careful with the Mic” and “The Mob Goes Wild” and then I lost track of them until “Earth Rocker" was released. Since then, I’ve become a little bit of a fan. Picking up whatever CD I can find exploring their catalog. Here’s what I love about Clutch and why they’ve become a favorite of mine over the past 5 years. You know exactly what you’re going to get with Clutch and it was on fine display in Mankato. Fantastic musicianship, no b.s., just straight up rock and roll with an all in performance by the entire band. There’s no “studio trickery” and no smoke and mirrors. What you hear coming out of the P.A. is coming by the 4 guys you see on stage.



Mankato was treated to THREE new Clutch songs. There must be a new record in the works, even though one was never confirmed by the band during the performance. This is the 3rd time I’ve seen Clutch live in 2 years and it’s exciting that I’ve never seen them play the same set. The band is constantly changing the set list which leaves the fans hanging on for the ride.

Clutch’s 75 min set breezed by and could have never contained every crowd favorite. However, the set list was well balanced amongst Clutch’s vast catalog. “Electric Worry,” “X Ray Visions” and “Firebirds” came surprisingly early in the set leaving “Earth Rocker” and “The Mob Goes Wild” as excellent picks to close the set. Clutch can seriously come back anytime and they would be packing a 100% different set guaranteed to leave you wanting more!



After a quick stage change, Primus came out and the crowd erupted. Primus started off with “Those Damned Blue Collared Tweekers” and had the full visual experience. Primus never really used any overhead lights in the front of the stage as they were really only lit by the video screens and lights behind them. Which made not only getting pictures of the band difficult but when the sun went down, it was hard to see the band members.

You can tell Primus was playing to the hardcore fans. When you have a band that’s been around as long as Primus has, you have a lot of die hard fans. I’m sure it’s hard to please them all. Being someone that really only knows the “hits” and hasn’t listened to Pork Soda or Sailing the Seas of Cheese for close to two decades, their set was almost all fresh material to my ears.

I'm probably alone here but the video screens to me seemed more distracting than enhancing. But when they used their old promo video’s for “Wynonna's Big Brown Beaver” and “Mr Krinkle” that’s when it worked the best. The crowd ate up seeing those old videos play in the background once again. It was good to see Primus rip thru “My Name is Mud” and “Jerry Was a Racecar Driver” live in the flesh! It looks like the band still has as much fun playing those songs now as they probably did the when they first wrote them.

Final thought, Clutch and Primus make incredibly tight musicianship look extremely easy. When in reality that’s the farthest thing from the truth. If you missed this Primus / Clutch summer tour, feel free to kick yourself in the pants.

Thanks to Brett Zisler for taking some awesome pictures from the show! Click below to see more!

NORTHERN INVASION 2016 INTERVIEW AUDIO

All of the interviews from NORTHERN INVASION with AVATAR, BUTCHER BABIES, CITY OF THE WEAK, CLUTCH, LACEY STURM and TRIVIUM in one convenient spot!



Hit the jump and check out Brett Zisler's phenomenal photos from Northern Invasion!

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 05/27/16 - AVATAR, CLUTCH, TRIVIUM

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 05/27/16
NORTHERN INVASION RE-CAP PART 1
GUESTS :: AVATAR, CLUTCH, TRIVIUM

HOUR 1
THRICE - "black honey" // to be everywhere is to be nowhere
ARROWS AT DAWN - "let live" // pieces
BIFFY CLYRO - "wolves of winter" // ellipsis
FLIPP - "I wish I was a planet" // flipp
AVATAR - "for the swarm" // feathers and flesh
AVATAR - "the eagle has landed" // feathers and flesh

AVATAR - "tooth, beak and claw" // feathers and flesh
LACUNA COIL - "blood, tears, dust" // delirium
STITCHED UP HEART - "monster" // never alone
THROW THE FIGHT - "drown with me" // transmissions
CLUTCH - "noble savage" // psychic warfare
CLUTCH - "sucker for the witch" // psychic warfare

HOUR 2
CLUTCH - "behold the colossus" // psychic warfare
ALL THE WAY RIDER - "I always" // floyd
UNLOCKING THE TRUTH - "monster" // monster - single
HELLYEAH - "X" // unden!able
TRIVIUM - "dead and gone" // silence in the snow

TRIVIUM - "the ghost that's haunting you" // silence in the snow
TRIVIUM - "rise above the tides" // silence in the snow
BLUE FELIX - "hate inside" // hate inside - single
GREEN DEATH - "lord of the dead" // manufacturing evil
INDEX CASE - "silver" // ocean
OFF WITH THEIR HEADS - "seek advice elsewhere" // home

**SPECIAL THANKS to JOHANNES and JOHN from AVATAR, DAN from CLUTCH and COREY from TRIVIUM for stopping by the Midwest Beatdown this week from NORTHERN INVASION!

AVATAR’s new album “Feathers and Flesh” is out now via eOne.

CLUTCH’s new album “Psychic Warfare” is out now via Weathermaker Music.

TRIVIUM’s new album “Silence in the Snow” is out now via Roadrunner.