Nine Inch Nails Peel It Back in Detroit!

After seven years away, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Trent Reznor and the legendary Nine Inch Nails returned to Michigan to perform in Detroit's Little Caesars Arena last Friday night. Their signature blend of dark, moody music and atmosphere accompanied a well-rehearsed set of hits, deep cuts, and fan favorites which left the adoring audience well satisfied but always ready for more. The members of Reznor's famously rotating backing band were all NIN veterans, including keyboardist Atticus Ross (a full-time member of the project since 2016), guitarist Robin Finck, multi-instrumentalist Alessandro Cortini, and recently returned drummer extraordinaire, Josh Freese, rejoining the group for the first time since 2008.

The production of the show itself is second to none with carefully designed lighting, projections, and other effects perfectly synchronized with specific moments in each song, sometimes recalling some of the band's earlier productions, such as the Self Destruct tour in 1994 and Fragility in 2000. Unique to the Peel It Back tour, however, was the placement of three separate stages in a column from the top to the bottom of the floor of the venue, which not only allowed for even more elaborate lighting changes but brought the performers to different positions within the venue throughout the show, somewhat recalling The Rolling Stones' Bridges to Babylon tour with a B-stage in the rear of the floor which the band walked to and from during the concert.

Beginning with an hour of live mixed music by DJ Boys Noize on his own rear stage, the scheduling of the show allowed for continuous music for nearly three hours as no time was needed to allow for a set change prior to Reznor and company taking the stage. Beginning with quieter, piano-based renditions of "Right Where It Belongs" and "Ruiner" before segueing into the usual blend of loud guitar and electronics, once Nine Inch Nails got up and running, the intensity and the tempo alike remained constant throughout. With almost no between-song banter, some transitions between songs were so brief the next song almost began on the previous song's next beat. It wasn't quite making a dance party out of these intricately written and performed tracks, but it was about as close as you could get without that result being the intention. It made for an engaging and unique experience compared to any other average rock show where a player may need to tune and instrument, or the singer decides to tell a story about where they had lunch that day. 

Full throttled renditions of "Wish" and "March of the Pigs" established the tone for the rest of the night, and while the set leaned heavily on the band's masterpiece, 1994's The Downward Spiral, with about half of that album being performed, they balanced those songs out with 21st century material like "The Lovers" and "Less Than" from the Add Violence EP,  A cool new remix of "Vessel" from Year Zero, and both "Copy of A" and a new remix of "Came Back Haunted" from Hesitation Marks. NIN have also produced a new soundtrack album for the third installment in the Tron film franchise, and they included the lead single from that record but played no other new material in Detroit. Transitioning between stages throughout the show, the third portion, performed on the B-stage, included collaboration with Boys Noize who provided additional live remixing to four of the night's particularly electronic songs, including the legendary "Closer," appearing in a new mix without the quote from "The Only Time" that has been omnipresent for over 25 years.

The fourth and final segment of the show, performed on the main stage, contained some of the most personal and most impressive moments. After a blistering "Mr. Self Destruct," now played in a lower key, the crowd was gifted a performance of the previously rarely featured hit "The Perfect Drug," which stood out even more with Freese dominating the song's complex drum solo, getting some of the loudest crowd response of the night. After that, Reznor introduced the Freese and the rest of the band and gave respect to David Lynch, the late writer/director with whom Reznor collaborated on Lost Highway, Twin Peaks, and other projects. He then mentioned how great it was to work with another David and launched into David Bowie's "I'm Afraid of Americans," a track Reznor famously remixed for its original single release, complete with Bowie's sampled voice coming from the keyboard as in his recording. Such a timeless song always feels relevant, and the audience and musicians collectively bonded over love for Bowie near the end of the concert.

Concluding with experienced precision, "The Hand That Feeds" led to "Head Like a Hole," the only track included from the band's debut LP, and finally the emotional ballad, "Hurt," a standard closer since its first release 31 years ago. With a project like Nine Inch Nails, it's hard to be disappointed with any combination of songs they may choose to perform. It's more about how there are so many excellent tracks to choose from, it's impossible to include them all. Reznor has famously turned Nine Inch Nails on and off as a project like the power button on a synthesizer, so there's no way of knowing whether or not this is a one-off tour or the launch of a new productive era outside his award-winning scoring work with Ross. In any case, catching this particular show, if you can, would be a wise idea.

Nine Inch Nails (Detroit, 8/22/25) set list:
Right Where It Belongs/Somewhat Damaged
Ruiner
Piggy (nothing can stop me now mix)
--------- 
Wish
March of the Pigs/All the Pigs, All Line Up (tag)
Reptile
The Lovers
Copy of A
Gave Up
-----------
Vessel (w/Boys Noize)
Closer (w/Boys Noize)
As Alive As You Need Me to Be (w/Boys Noize)
Came Back Haunted (w/Boys Noize)
------------ 
Mr. Self Destruct
Less Than
The Perfect Drug
I'm Afraid of Americans (David Bowie)
The Hand That Feeds
Head Like a Hole
Hurt
---------------------------


*(watch bootleg video of the full show here!)*

************************************************

*Follow Jamblog by subscribing on the home page, by following our facebook page, or both!

*For even more, don't forget to also like and follow our music video and live performance page for great music from all of rock history in your timeline every day!!*  https://www.facebook.com/rocknrollhst/ 

CAKE Rocks Sterling Heights!

Fans from Detroit and nearby areas rejoiced at the return of CAKE to Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill in Sterling Heights last week, and the alt. rock veterans delivered a strong night of their signature tunes, including their biggest hits and plenty of fan favorites. CAKE is a group who famously only tour, write, and record when they wish, and several years often elapse between their periods of activity. In this case, they are touring prior to the release of their long-awaited seventh LP, which is expected to arrive this fall. One new song, "Billionaire in Space," was performed as a preview. Singer John McCrea and company delighted fans with comical interludes between most songs, and the band seemed very comfortable and well-rehearsed throughout. 

As many other groups have taken to doing over the past five to ten years, the concert was billed as "An Evening with CAKE," meaning no opening act and an intermission during the band's performance. Much like other notable alternative rockers, such as Maynard James Keenan and Jack White, CAKE requested no photos or video be taken during the performance although in a gentler, suggestive way. An announcement requesting attendees to avoid using their phones during the performance played prior to the band's intro tape, but they were not required to lock their phones in pouches (like some of White's recent tours) nor were they threatened with ejection from the show for having a phone out (like at Keenan's shows). 

CAKE wisely feature more from their 1996 breakthrough album Fashion Nugget than any of their other releases, but they work hit singles and a few deep cuts from their other five albums as well. The band opened with "Frank Sinatra" and ran through zippy versions of "Stickshifts and Safetybelts" and the stuttering "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps" during the first set, and they featured "Daria" and their biggest hit, "The Distance," during the second half of the concert. Crowd participation is encouraged during almost every song but is most audible during hits like "Sheep Go to Heaven," and "Never There" where the chanted backing vocals can be shared with the audience (as McCrea's unique delivery varies in pace and style through most of the lead vocals, making them harder to sing along with, even if you know most of the lyrics). While the stage itself was relatively undecorated, McCrea controlled a lighted, spinning mirror ball with a foot pedal throughout the concert, including it for at least a few moments during nearly every song.

McCrea is involved with a number of causes, of which is reforestation, and for several tours, he takes a moment during each show to give away a potted tree to the first fan who can shout out what kind of tree it is and who promises to plant it and send a picture. In Sterling Heights, the winner took home a cherry tree, an appropriate choice for Michigan, whose Traverse City is known as the cherry capital of the world. Following the intermission and tree giveaway, the band continued with notable selections from their debut LP, "Comanche," "Ruby Sees All," and "Rock 'n' Roll Lifestyle" as well as 2001's Comfort Eagle, opening the second set with the twangy new wave of "Love You Madly" and treating fans to one of their biggest hits, "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" during the encore. While CAKE have included an original arrangement of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs" for years, choosing to include it to open the encore was a bit more poignant following the recent death of original Sabbath vocalist, Ozzy Osbourne.

By time the concert concluded, the assembled fans were seemingly satisfied, but the show felt a little brief, overall, and could have benefitted from even one or two more songs, especially during the second set. In spite of that, the band's performance was consistently high quality throughout, and it's clear why CAKE's music and shows are so widely beloved. 

Cake, Sterling Heights, MI (8/13/25):
Frank Sinatra
Sheep Go to Heaven
Wheels
Stickshifts and Safetybelts
Long Time
Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps (Osvaldo Farres)
Meanwhile, Rick James...
Billionaire in Space
Sick of You
--------------------------- 
(intermission)
---------------------------
Love You Madly
Rock 'n' Roll Lifestyle
Comanche
Ruby Sees All
Daria
Never There
------------------- 
War Pigs (Black Sabbath)
Short Skirt/Long Jacket
The Distance

************************************************

*Follow Jamblog by subscribing on the home page, by following our facebook page, or both!

*For even more, don't forget to also like and follow our music video and live performance page for great music from all of rock history in your timeline every day!!*  https://www.facebook.com/rocknrollhst/ 

Upheaval Brings the Metal to Grand Rapids!

Michigan metal heads rejoiced at the return of the annual Upheaval festival in Grand Rapids, now having completed its fifth year. This two-day, outdoor concert is held in Belknap Park and has hosted a number of metal and hard rock's biggest bands and countless up and coming acts, including KoRn, Godsmack, Disturbed, Sevendust, and many others. This year's gathering boasted sets by Rob Zombie, Falling in Reverse, Crossfade, and Taproot to name some of the biggest. Upheaval has successfully continued to operate long enough to bring in metal and hard rock lovers from around the region, seemingly regardless of the lineup of performers, and while it's a far cry from the peak years of Ozzfest, the metal festival that will forever be the blueprint and comparison for any other, it's also significant for younger metal fans to have opportunities like Upheaval, Inkcarceration, Aftershock, and others, to attend and share in the communal experience of live heavy metal.

Rob Zombie was the lone veteran, legacy act at this year's Upheaval festival, headlining the main stage on the first night, and thoroughly entertaining everyone who outlasted the heat to make it to the end of the day with a blend of solo hits, recent radio singles, and highlights from the '90s peak of his work in White Zombie, which unsurprisingly seems to get the biggest reaction from the audience whenever it's featured. Zombie took a moment to reflect on this year being the 30th anniversary of White Zombie's final LP, Astro Creep 2000..., joking with the audience that their parents used to get thrown out of school for wearing Zombie T-shirts during that album's era. Crossfade did well closing out the second stage and attracted a large crowd though they ran into technical issues during the first few songs that took some time to iron out before their set got up and running. Architects performed a great blend of radio singles that were well received and album tracks which seemed to better represent their sound as members of the band sported Ozzy Osbourne and Nine Inch Nails shirts (coincidentally a week before Ozzy's death but a week after his triumphant final performance in Birmingham, England). Ann Arbor's own Taproot also had a mid-day set on the main stage and balanced new material with notable songs from their first few albums in the '00s. Depending on where one may have been in the festival grounds at any given point, three stages means constant music, and sets from Scene Queen, Horizon Theory, The Plot in You, Return to Dust, and The Funeral Portrait, among others, kept the rock going all day. Even the third stage featured engaging performances from emerging artists like Paralandra and Mr. Denton on Doomsday, an engaging fusion act that splits the difference between KoRn, Primus, and Faith No More.

As has been the case throughout Upheaval's five-year run, the decision to host this event in the middle of July is one of its biggest drawbacks. Members of the audience not only need to buy a ticket, secure transportation, and possibly, parking, lodging, etc., but they must also endure the punishing sun and oppressive heat and humidity for up to two full days, depending on how much of the weekend they are in to experience. While outdoor, summer concerts have always had to battle dehydration, providing shade, sufficient first aid, and adjusting to the elements as needed, recent summers have seen this challenge become progressively more significant and impactful. It's simply too much to assume that the average ticket holder can withstand the heat for such a long, continuous stretch, and Upheaval and all outdoor concert venues and promotors should take note. Even now it already feels like events like these are a limited time offer, and it shouldn't surprise anyone to see fewer of them and possibly a transition to indoor performances, even during the summer, where there is more ability to control the environment.

Having said that, the Upheaval crowd still seems to attend and participate with enthusiasm, and as long as there are enough interested fans and enough available artists to perform, there's a good chance it will continue on for years to come in one form or another. Aside from helping the crowd stay cooler, bringing in a few more big-name legacy acts to validate the price of admission would probably have a positive impact on overall attendance. As long as kids continue to discover and dive into the colorful world of heavy metal history, there will always be room for a big show like Upheaval, but if promoters wish to attract life-long metalheads as well, ending each night with one or two veteran all-stars from the genre would help it to cement a lasting legacy among the many American rock festivals of the 21st century.

Rob Zombie set list (7/18/25 - Grand Rapids, MI)
Electric Head (pt. 1) (White Zombie)
Super-Charger Heaven (White Zombie)
Feel So Numb
Well, Everybody's Fucking in a UFO
Superbeast
Meet the Creeper
Dead City Radio and the New Gods of Supertown
More Human Than Human (White Zombie)
The Triumph of King Freak
Electric Head (pt. 2) (White Zombie)
Creature of the Wheel (White Zombie)
House of 1,000 Corpses
Lords of Salem
Living Dead Girl
Never Gonna Stop
Thunder Kiss '65 (White Zombie)
------------------ 
Dragula
------------------------------- 

******************* 
Crossfade set list (7/18/25 - Grand Rapids, MI)
Starless
So Far Away
Lay Me Down
Dead Memories
The Deep End
Colors
Already Gone
Dead Skin
Killing Me Inside
Death Trend Setta
Prove You Wrong
Cold
------------------------ 

*********************** 
Architects set list (7/18/25 - Grand Rapids, MI)
When We Were Young
Whiplash
Brain Dead
Curse
Deep Fake
Meteor
Impermanence
Doomsday
Blackhole
Everything Ends
Seeing Red
Animals
--------------

*********************** 
Taproot set list (7/18/25 - Grand Rapids, MI)
Smile
Again & Again
Mine
Myself
Calling
Fractured
Favourite Song
So Eager
Poem
--------------- 

************************************************

*Follow Jamblog by subscribing on the home page, by following our facebook page, or both!

*For even more, don't forget to also like and follow our music video and live performance page for great music from all of rock history in your timeline every day!!*  https://www.facebook.com/rocknrollhst/ 

Weird Al Gets Even Weirder at Pine Knob!

Weird Al Yankovic, the living legend of funny music and pop culture icon, has been on the road this year with his Bigger & Weirder Tour to the delight of fans young and old across the country. Unlike Yankovic's previous outing, a tour that focused specifically on deep cuts and non-hits, a treat to both hardcore fans and to his band alike, the new tour's set list focuses again on his biggest hits, most familiar tracks, and spotlights some newer material he has released in the decade since his last LP, 2014's Mandatory Fun. In addition to the hits (complete with several costume changes and necessary video breaks to allow for them), Yankovic has also expanded his usual, always excellent, four-piece backing band (most of whom have toured and recorded with him since the early '80s) to include four additional musicians, allowing for more interplay with horns, percussion, additional guitars and keyboards, and even sound effects that make the performance sometimes evocative of those of some of Yankovic's musical heroes, such as Spike Jones and Frank Zappa.

After performing a sold-out show at Traverse City's annual cherry festival, Yankovic and the band visited the historic Pine Knob amphitheater in Clarkston, MI (north of Detroit) for a strong run through the finely paced and choreographed show, entertaining fans who have been seeing him for decades as well as many seeing him for the first time, some attending with their parents or even as a whole family. The evening began with a comical opening set by Puddles the Clown (as Puddles Pity Party) who offered his trademark comedy and cover songs before appearing briefly in Yankovic's first number, which began about 20 minutes later, taking a cream pie to the face. The Bigger & Weirder show itself is not dissimilar to Yankovic's other tours going back to at least the early '90s, and each successive tour maintains a similar framework, only rotating songs in and out of the set or adjusting the order of some every few years, in addition to highlighting some of his most recent work. For example, "Tacky," his show opener, was also the first song performed on each date of the Mandatory Fun tour in 2015 and is still produced similarly with Yankovic singing it as he is filmed walking from his dressing room to the stage, after the band has already begun playing, and projected to the audience on closed circuit screens. All-time favorites like "One More Minute," "Smells Like Nirvana," "Dare to Be Stupid," "Fat," "White & Nerdy," and "Amish Paradise" are guaranteed, and a well-rehearsed medley of bits and pieces of other hits and fan favorites arrives around the mid-point of the show (though the songs featured in the medley also get rotated from tour to tour). 

Yankovic is also known for his signature polka medleys, where he retains the original lyrics of several popular songs but arranges them as a polka, and a standard Weird Al show usually contains a performance of his most recently released polka, in this case, last year's "Polkarama!" which includes hits by Billie Eilish, Adele, Miley Cyrus, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, and others. Much of the remainder of the set is divided between a handful of deep cuts that were not necessarily hit singles but are loved by fans and by the band, such as "Everything You Know Is Wrong," "Skipper Dan," and "eBay," and newer songs, which now consist of special projects and tracks created for TV and movies, such as "Captain Underpants Theme Song," "It's My World," and "Now You Know," from the hilarious biopic sendup Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, from which a few scenes were also shown on the monitors during costume changes. The other notable holdover from Yankovic's recent deep cuts tours that has now been integrated into his standard show is the featuring of one straight cover song, all original lyrics and music (which changes each night). At Pine Knob, the crowd was treated to an energetic run through Paul Simon's classic "You Can Call Me Al," which Yankovic deadpan introduced as how he responded to someone who asked him how he prefers to be addressed.

As the opening of the show remains consistent with previous recent tours, so does the closing, which centers primarily on two of Yankovic's three Star Wars themed songs, "The Saga Begins" and "Yoda," also including an onstage appearance by the local regiment of the 501st Legion of costumed stormtroopers, a dedicated group of Star Wars fans who have organized around the world, often appearing for charity and at children's events. To say that this portion of the show (or any other) pushes the boundaries of acceptable nerdity or geekdom would be an understatement, and both Yankovic and the audience clearly love it.

Beyond the regular cycle of touring and continuing to deliver a strong, engaging, and hilarious show every night, it's clear this particular tour feels a bit more significant to Yankovic and may even be a sort of late career victory lap where he's taking the opportunity to feel the appreciation from his fans and to celebrate a job well done. Yankovic will be 66 years old in a few months, and like many other Boomer and Gen X musicians, may be looking at wrapping things up, at least with regard to a tour of this size and scale. His singular style will never be duplicated or repeated, and those who have been lucky enough to see him live or even to enjoy his career in real time have been given a special comedic, musical gift and countless laughs and joy for nearly half a century. Weird Al Yankovic's Bigger & Weirder Tour continues through late September including a performance at Miller Auditorium in Kalamazoo, MI on September 17th.

Weird Al Yankovic, 7/2/25 (Clarkston, MI) set list:
Fun Zone (intro tape)
Tacky
Mission Statement
Polkamania!
(drum solo)
Everything You Know Is Wrong
One More Minute
Smells Like Nirvana
Dare to Be Stupid
Medley: Party in the CIA/It's All About the Pentiums/Bedrock Anthem/My Bologna/Ricky/Ode to a Superhero/I Love Rocky Road/Eat It/Like a Surgeon/Word Crimes/Canadian Idiot
Fat
Captain Underpants Theme Song
Now You Know
You Can Call Me Al (Paul Simon)
It's My World
Skipper Dan
(drum solo reprise)
eBay
Stop Forwarding That Crap to Me
White & Nerdy
Amish Paradise
------------------------------ 
Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565 (Bach)
Cell Phones
The Saga Begins
Yoda
-----------------------------------------

Puddles Pity Party, 7/2/25 (Clarkston, MI) set list:
I'm Always Chasing Rainbows (Harry Carroll)
Come Cry with Me (Glyn Styler)
Who Wants to Help the Clown? (interlude)
Crazy Train (Ozzy Osbourne)
*(unknown song)*
Who Wants to Help the Clown? (interlude)
Estoy serntado aqui (Los Lobos)
Come on Up to the House (Tom Waits)
In the End
Stairway to Gilligan's Island (Little Roger & The Goosebumps)
My Heart Will Go On (Celine Dion)/Enter Sandman (Metallica)/One (Metallica)

******************************

************************************************

*Follow Jamblog by subscribing on the home page, by following our facebook page, or both!

*For even more, don't forget to also like and follow our music video and live performance page for great music from all of rock history in your timeline every day!!*  https://www.facebook.com/rocknrollhst/ 

Devo Rocks Detroit!

De-evolution was on full display at the historic Fillmore (formerly The State Theatre) the last Saturday in June when Devo brought their 50th anniversary/farewell tour to Detroit. The faithful fans and followers of the legendary art punk collective lined the streets around the venue for hours ahead of the show, and the band delivered an amazing night of music to all. Primarily focusing on music from their first and third albums, Devo ran through hits and fan favorites that apply to the modern political and social landscape as well or better today than when originally released. Co-lead singers Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale maintained consistently high energy throughout the show, leading the rest of the band and many on the GA floor in the group's trademark robotic choreography and running in place all evening. 

Opening with the pulsing beat of "Don't Shoot" from 2010's Something for Everybody, Devo's most recent album, the rest of the performance dug back into the late '70s and early '80s with spirited renditions of "Peek-A-Boo!," "That's Good," and "Girl U Want" engaging the audience who sang and danced along. Playing their signature song, 1980's "Whip It" near the end of the first third of the concert was somewhat surprising but fit in well among the order of the other songs and got an expected, enthusiastic response from the crowd. 

Somewhat similarly to Weird Al Yankovic's carefully choreographed mid-show costume changes, Devo utilized video breaks that allowed them to feature various outfits from different points in their history, such as their iconic red energy domes, then the bright yellow tear-away jump suits, and even the triangular smocks emblazoned with a single letter from the word "Devo" as seen in some of the videos and live performances in the early '80s. The middle of the show, especially, harkened back to the bands earliest days of success with a run through their creative deconstructions of The Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction" and Johnny Rivers' "Secret Agent Man," followed by signature tracks from their debut LP, including "Uncontrollable Urge," "Mongoloid," and "Jocko Homo," which resulted in the night's most engaged crowd responses ("We are Devo!") and featured a portion of "Round on the Ends, High in the Middle, O-Hi-O" in spite of the performance being in Michigan and surely enemy territory for most Ohioans.

The third act of the show was presented more as an encore but included some of the strongest moments of the night, especially on "Freedom of Choice" which no one in the band needed to set up or explain in these post-postmodern days in politics and society and concluded with a lengthy rendition of "Beautiful World," the sarcastically clean-sounding and upbeat tune that compares conflicting social outlooks. Mothersbaugh donned his famous Booji Boy mask and sang in that character's comical falsetto to close the show, much to the delight of the crowd.

While Devo were one of the pioneers of working with projections and visual effects on backing screens, they continue to show contemporary artists and concertgoers new and effective ways in which they can be used, especially with the technological advancements of the last 35 years. The night was both a treat for long time fans who got to experience Devo live potentially one last time and even more so for younger fans who may have missed their entire classic run and possibly even subsequent reunions. Now featuring three founding members (Mothersbaugh's brother Bob is also still on guitar and vocals), Devo push themselves hard to represent their legacy and to maintain a tone in their delivery that is both uniquely their own while being an inspiration to countless bands and artists from over the past half-century. 

Devo (6/28/25 * Detroit, MI) set list:
(Rod Rooter intro video)
Don't Shoot
Peek-A-Boo!
Going Under
That's Good
Girl U Want
Whip It
Planet Earth
------(Carl Sagan video interlude)---------- 
Satisfaction (Rolling Stones)
Secret Agent Man (P.F. Sloan)
Uncontrollable Urge
Mongoloid
Jocko Homo/Round on the End and High in the Middle O-HI-O (Bryan/Hanlon)
Smart Patrol
Mr. DNA
Gates of Steel
-------(Devo Corporate Anthem video)-----
Star-Spangled Banner (Key/Smith) (tease)
Freedom of Choice
Gut Feeling
Slap Your Mammy
Beautiful World (w/Booji Boy)
--------------------------------------------------- 

******************************

*Follow Jamblog by subscribing on the home page, by following our facebook page, or both!

*For even more, don't forget to also like and follow our music video and live performance page for great music from all of rock history in your timeline every day!!*  https://www.facebook.com/rocknrollhst/ 

Queens of the Stone Age Scorch Chicago!

Nearly a year after they were scheduled to rock Huntington Bank Pavillion at Northerly Island in Chicago, Queens of the Stone Age finally graced the stage on a blistering June evening amid a heatwave with indexes well over 100 degrees. Notably, heavy winds and the venue's position right on the shore of Lake Michigan helped lower the temperature a bit for concertgoers, but it would be impossible to call the conditions comfortable. The long delay was the result of undisclosed health issues that affected bandleader Josh Homme that apparently improved significantly following treatment, and the band is now back on the road and promoting their recently released live EP, Alive in the Catacombs, recorded last summer in Paris. In this case, the Chicago date became the official final performance of the End Is Nero tour which originally launched in 2023 to support the band's most recent album, In Times New Roman..., and a new tour of theater shows was announced a few days later, starting at the end of the summer.

Those early enough to avoid the long lines to enter and who dared to brave the sweltering heat were treated to an excellent opening set from The Kills, the UK duo who have been entertaining with their blend of minimalist-garage-goth rock for over 20 years and who famously feature singer Alison Mosshart also of The Dead Weather, one of Jack White's many projects. After a short set change, QOTSA took the stage to a great reception from the crowd and launched into "A Song for the Deaf," which has recently been resurrected and added to the set list rotation to the delight of longtime fans. "No One Knows," the band's biggest hit, followed and engaged the remaining members of the audience who weren't already locked into the performance. Homme sounded as sharp as ever on vocals and guitar throughout, but his ace supporting band, including longtime guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen and veterans like Mikey Shuman, Dean Fertita, and drummer Jon Theodore, each handled their parts with precision and energy.

The main portion of the show focused primarily on songs from 2007-2023, highlighting not just the latter half of the band's catalog but primarily the songs that this particular collective of players have so far created together rather than featuring tracks from earlier versions of the band that featured different players. Singles like "3's & 7's," "Paper Machete," "Smooth Sailing," and "My God Is the Sun" carried the tone of the show well into its midpoint when a few deep cuts from this same era, such as "Time & Place," "Kalopsia," and "Misfit Love," were featured. While many of the band's older fans would have enjoyed a few songs from 2000's Rated R or the 1998 self-titled debut album, it's also arguable that breaking up the newer material with older songs would have created a different mood and experience. It was later discovered that a few more recent songs ("I Appear Missing" and "Negative Space") were included on the set list but were not performed.

While the band's performance was well-rehearsed, passionate, and technically impressive as usual, the venue itself and the weather conditions undoubtably affected the show. For one, compared to other shows on this leg of the tour, the Chicago performance was the band's shortest and had the fewest number of songs played. Considering the oppressive heat that blanketed the city the entire weekend, this is somewhat understandable, though the temperature had come down a bit as the sun set. Secondly, the wind gusts simply could not be ignored or adjusted to compensate for in this case. The well-mixed audio coming from the stage was intermittently affected by bursts of wind that came and went in spans of a few seconds at a time throughout the show, sometimes gusting so hard that a lyric or two or a notable guitar note seemed to simply disappear and go completely unheard. Songs for the Deaf, indeed.

Homme and company wrapped things up with a strong set of hits and fan favorites including "Make It wit Chu," "I Sat by the Ocean," and "Go with the Flow" before explaining they wished to stay on stage and continue playing rather than taking an encore break, something that has become more common at modern rock shows. They finished the night with blistering takes on "Little Sister" and the traditional closing number, "A Song for the Dead," which continued to receive slight adjustments in the arrangement in spots as the band has done for years. The fall tour will have a completely different tone and flavor, so it was excellent to catch QOTSA at full volume and in an outdoor summer setting, but it seemed like both the band and the fans were already looking forward to the cooler and intimate vibe that will accompany the next round of shows.

Queens of the Stone Age, Chicago, IL (6/21/25) set list:
(Basil Poledouris-"Dagoth Ceremony") (intro tape)
A Song for the Deaf
No One Knows
3's & 7's
Paper Machete
Smooth Sailing
My God Is the Sun
Emotion Sickness
If I Had a Tail
Time & Place
Carnavoyeur
Kalopsia
Misfit Love
Make It wit Chu
I Sat by the Ocean
Little Sister
Go with the Flow
A Song for the Dead
----------------------------------

The Kills, Chicago, IL (6/21/25) set list:
Kissy Kissy
U.R.A. Fever
Love and Tenderness
103
Baby Says
New York
Wasterpiece
Telephone Radio Germany
Black Balloon
My Girls My Girls
Doing It to Death
Future Starts Now
--------------------------

******************************

*Follow Jamblog by subscribing on the home page, by following our facebook page, or both!

*For even more, don't forget to also like and follow our music video and live performance page for great music from all of rock history in your timeline every day!!*  https://www.facebook.com/rocknrollhst/ 

Sessanta 2.0 Rocks Grand Rapids!

A powerhouse three-headed rock monster invaded Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, MI on May 28th as part of a season-long celebration of the 61st birthday of alternative rock legend Maynard James Keenan, a tour known as Sessanta 2.0. Two of Keenan's three bands, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer, along with friends Primus, presented a unique and unpredictable show that rotated between each band every two-to-four songs, with no clear headliner or opening act. After the success of the same tour in 2024 (Sessanta 1.0), the 2025 leg hit cities that were not featured on the first run.

In addition to music from all three bands throughout the night, some songs featured collaborations with members of one of the other groups, the premier of a new Primus song that features additional vocals from Keenan, and the debut of new Primus drummer, John Hoffman, additional attention was directed at A Perfect Circle drummer Josh Freese as he was loudly and unexpectedly fired from replacing the late Taylor Hawkins in Foo Fighters while the Sessanta tour was in-progress. The audience was also treated to an unannounced appearance by Billy Strings, the psychedelic bluegrass Michigan native, who performed two sold-out shows at Van Andel later in the week and another sold out performance at The Charlotte Bluegrass Festival in June. In this case, Strings handled vocals on the second verse of Primus' "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver" and took a guitar solo while he and the band were all smiles through the end of the song.

All three bands entertained with many of their hits and a handful of deep cuts that no doubt satisfied those who were primarily there for any one of the groups, and while many concertgoers seemed to enjoy the music of each, some were seemingly less acquainted with Puscifer, essentially Keenan's solo project and the band with the fewest hit songs of the three. Surprisingly, the tone established over the first 20 minutes of the show maintained throughout the rotating performers, where Primus classics from as early as 1990 sounded right at home next to Puscifer songs from 2020. Billy Howerdel of A Perfect Circle sounded amazing on all of his signature guitar leads and solos, and the continually excellent pairings of Keenan and Puscifer singer Carina Round, and the demented duo of Les Claypool and Larry LaLonde of Primus, made each song engaging and significant, both individually and within each mini-set. During a few different points in the show, all three drummers were onstage together and tagged in and out of a brief solo.

While some have argued Sessanta is a tough format for a rock show because no one band ever gets a chance to truly build momentum before tagging out with one of the other bands, the creative uniqueness of the presentation made it interesting and unlike previous tours by any of these bands (or any bands, really). It was as though a selection of each group's catalogs were loaded onto the same playlist and then presented on shuffle, but it was live on stage. When has anyone else ever done that?

While Keenan's famous cell phone ban was certainly in effect in Grand Rapids and throughout the entire tour, fans were allowed to photograph and film during the final song of the night if they wished.

It's hard to imagine this particular show running for a third time again next year, but those who had the chance to see it last year or this spring got to witness something really cool and extra special regardless of their personal concert histories.

Sessanta 2.0, Grand Rapids, MI (5/28/25) set list:

A Perfect Circle:
-"Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums"
-"Disillusioned"
-"Blue"

Primus:
-"Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers"
-"Too Many Puppies"
-"Duchess and the Proverbial Mind Spread"

Puscifer:
-"Man Overboard"
-"Horizons"
-"Indigo Children" (versatile mix)

Primus:
-"Little Lord Fentanyl" (w/Maynard James Keenan & Carina Round)
-"Welcome to This World"
-"My Name Is Mud"
-"Jerry Was a Race Car Driver"

Puscifer:
-"Postulous"
-"No Angel"
-"Bullet Train to Iowa"
-"The Algorithm"

A Perfect Circle:
-"The Contrarian"
-"The Doomed"
-"Weak and Powerless"
-"The Outsider"
--------------------------------- 
             (intermission)
---------------------------------- 

Puscifer:
-"The Humbling River"
-"Polar Bear"
-"The Remedy"

Primus:
-"Pablo's Hippos" (w/Maynard James Keenan & Carina Round)
-"Wynona's Big Brown Beaver" (w/Billy Strings)

A Perfect Circle:
-"The Noose"
-"Kindred"
-"Judith"

Primus:
-"Southbound Pachyderm"

Puscifer:
-"Grand Canyon" (w/Primus and A Perfect Circle)
-------------------------------------------------------- 
******************************

*Follow Jamblog by subscribing on the home page, by following our facebook page, or both!

*For even more, don't forget to also like and follow our music video and live performance page for great music from all of rock history in your timeline every day!!*  https://www.facebook.com/rocknrollhst/