Tomahawk and Melvins Rock Detroit!

On an early August night, Detroit's Fillmore (formerly The State Theatre), hosted an amazing indie-alternative double bill and reunion of Tomahawk and Melvins! These groups graced Detroit with a performance on their infamous Geek Show tour in 2003 and were back this summer to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Tomahawk's formation and debut album. In spite of the theme, fans were surprised (pleasantly or not) to be treated to a set mostly focused on the band's fifth and most recent LP, 2021s Tonic Immobility, an album for which they never toured as it was completed and released during the COVID shut down.

After an unadvertised opening set from thereminist Ni Maitres, the legendary Washington-based sludge-metal legends Melvins took the stage to a warm welcome from the audience and immediately launched into "Working the Ditch," establishing that the volume would be blisteringly loud and that movement in the GA pit in front of the stage would be in full effect in spite of most in the crowd being in their 40s and 50s (and most of the performers approaching or already in their 60s), much to the surprise of some who expected a less physical show than the bands' 2003 tour. Rocking nearly continuously for an hour, Melvins mixed a handful of '80s and '90s classics ("Honey Bucket," "Hag Me," "The Bit," and "It's Shoved") with 21st century material and an especially noisy cover of The Rolling Stones' "Sway" which was completely unrecognizable compared to the original, even for avid Stones fans. In addition to founder Buzz Osbourne (guitar/vocals) and longtime drummer Dale Crover, the band also featured Steven Shane McDonald on bass and second drummer Coady Willis, each lending to the cacophony of joyously doomy racket contained throughout the set. Tomahawk bassist Trevor Dunn, himself a former member of Melvins, joined the band on their closing number, "Night Goat" adding a second layer of bottom end to McDonald's and at one point, literally fencing with the necks of their basses during the song.

Following an average-length set change, Tomahawk took the stage and began with "Flashback," the opening track from their self-titled debut, which immediately stirred the pit right back up and engaged all in attendance. From there, the band began to lean heavily into songs from Tonic Immobility, running through four in a row ("SHHH!," "Predators and Scavengers," "Business Casual," and "Doomsday Fatigue") and eventually performing nine of the 12 tracks from that album. While their newer songs (odd to say considering they are five years old now) sit well next to their classic material, it was clear to see the effect on the crowd was lessened until they returned to tracks like "Rape This Day," "Birdsong" and "Capt. Midnight" from 2003's Mit Gas, which was arguably the strongest section of the night.

The second half of Tomahawk's show continued to alternate between Tonic Immobility tracks and pieces from their third and fourth albums, such as "South Paw," "I.O.U." and "White Hats/Black Hats" from 2013's Oddfellows during one section and a brief nod to 2007's Anonymous with a performance of "Totem" near the end of the main set, which concluded with "Point and Click" from the debut album. Vocalist/keyboardist Mike Patton commanded the stage and led the band with focused precision throughout and playfully interacted with the crowd in his traditionally deprecating style here and there between songs. Bassist Trevor Dunn and drummer John Stainer maintained a tight rhythm and varied dynamic throughout, and guitarist Duane Denison received notable attention from the audience during standout moments, especially on the band's earliest songs.

After a short encore break, Tomahawk returned to perform a cover of Duane Eddy's "Stalkin'" and their own "Rise Up Dirty Waters" and "God Hates a Coward," featuring the return of Patton's gas mask microphone. It was the most engaging track of the night and not coincidentally saved until the very end where it inspired the most movement and physical interaction among the audience. 

At some point, the combination of talent that makes up a supergroup, whether the members are well known as individuals or not, gets lost in the product of their collaboration. In this case, decades of experience writing, recording, and touring with Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Helmet, The Jesus Lizard, Red Kross, OFF! and many others resulted in a professional execution from veteran players who seem most at home when performing their songs to their crowds (rather than introducing people to them as opening acts on a bigger tour or at a festival). The legacy of talent and the continuing dedication of players who have been hitting it hard for 40 years or more comes through at a show like this, especially compared to younger, modern acts. Whether this summer's tour was a final victory lap for Tomahawk or a reigniting of the creativity within the project remains to be seen, but everyone who appeared with both bands will undoubtedly be back around again soon, either with their main projects or even new side projects that are just getting started!

Melvins set list (8/3/26):
Working the Ditch
Never Say You're Sorry
Sway (The Rolling Stones)
Evil New War God
Civilized Worm
It's Shoved
A History of Bad Men
The Bit
Blood Witch
Hag Me
Honey Bucket
Night Goat (w/Trevor Dunn)
----------------------------

Tomahawk set list (8/3/26):
Elmer Bernstein-"Clark Street: The Top" (intro tape)
---------------
Flashback
SHHH!
Predators and Scavengers
Business Casual
Doomsday Fatigue
Rape This Day
Eureka
Birdsong/Juan in the Garden (Robert Crosbie)
Capt. Midnight
Howlie
Recoil
South Paw
I.O.U.
White Hats/Black Hats
Fatback
Sidewinder
Totem
Point and Click
----------------- 
Stalkin' (Duane Eddy)
Rise Up Dirty Waters
God Hates a Coward
---------------
Jimmy Van Heusen-"All the Way" (outro tape)

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Jack White's big Detroit party rocks Pine Knob!

On a hot Saturday night in late July, Detroit native, contemporary guitar wizard, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Jack White played Clarkston's legendary Pine Knob amphitheater for the first time ever in spite of his many years as a major label recording artist with a variety of bands, such as The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, and The Dead Weather, not to mention his varied solo work and collaborations. Already an occasion to celebrate, White seized the opportunity to bring along four additional Detroit artists, all of whom were also playing Pine Knob for the first time, creating a home-grown celebration that felt almost as much like a block party or family reunion as a standard rock concert.

Fans were encouraged by advertising to "come early and stay late" with offers of beer and hot dogs for two dollars during the first two hours of the show, during which Dory Detroit and Ty each played short opening sets on a second stage set up in the parking lot next to the venue (recalling the peak years of Ozzfest). The famous Third Man Rolling Record Store was also on hand to sell exclusive vinyl and show specific posters to those who arrived early enough to wait in a lengthy line to buy them. The action moved to the main stage where two other Detroit bands, Prostitute and Easy Action, each engaged the crowd with their brands of garage and indie rock, both a treat for locals who already knew and liked them and a unique opportunity to show the unfamiliar in the crowd who they are and what they do. Between each main stage act, a local DJ spun only Detroit-area artists (on turntables, not a phone or computer) including songs by Bob Seger, The MC5, Stooges, Eminem, Detroit Cobras, and more. The entire night was a celebration of the endless musical contributions and ongoing historical vibe of The Motor City. Everything about it was warm and inviting.

Finally, local legend Jack White and his ace backing band took the stage to the roars of a beyond-capacity crowd. Latecomers without pavilion seats were seen setting up chairs and blankets on the backside of the lawn hill, facing away from the stage, due to lack of space. After a raucous intro jam to ensure the crowd was aware the show had begun, White ripped through "That's How I'm Feeling," the biggest single from 2024's No Name, and proceeded to engage those on the lawn and encouraged all in attendance, left, right, and center, to use the brain God placed in their skulls without being more specifically political, at least at that moment, before launching into The White Stripes' classic, "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground." Unlike his earliest solo tours, White has now built up enough material from his own releases that he doesn't need to feature as many songs from his other bands any more than he wishes, allowing attention for tracks from more recent releases, such as "Dollar Bill" and "It's Rough on Rats," both fewer than two years old. An up-tempo singalong on The White Stripes' "Hotel Yorba" led into a rocking rendition of "Broken Boy Solider" by The Raconteurs, made even more authentic to the original recording as Raconteurs drummer Patrick Keeler has also been the drummer in White's solo band for the last two years. White's guitar heroics can't be understated as he alternates between leads and solos, clean tone to distortion, and strumming to slide work at will during any and every song.

An engaging performance of the new song, "G.O.D. and the Broken Ribs" brought attention back to White's latest album, Frozen Charlotte, but the show featured less music from that record than the then-new songs from No Name that were performed at White's previous Detroit concert, at the tightly packed Saint Andrew's Hall, in 2024. A sandwich medley followed, of The White Stripes' "Cannon" into No Name's Old Scratch Blues" and The Stripe's "The Union Forever," a song that included new/improvised lyrics that called out "AI, data centers, and whatever other fucking bullshit being pushed by Bezos and Musk" to a roar of approval from the audience. Later in the song, lyrics were changed to proudly declare "What would I like to have been? / Everything Trump hates!" to even louder cheers.

A brief and obscure cover of Rosetta Howard's "Delta Bound" led into an energetic run through The White Stripes' "Fell in Love with a Girl," after which White introduced the other members of his band, including Keeler, long time bassist Dominic Davis, and keyboardist Bobby Emmitt, who have been with him since the release of No Name in 2024, and each of whom had personalized LED signs switched on above their positions on stage for the remainder of the main set, which concluded with a slightly updated and more dynamic arrangement of The Raconteurs' "Steady, as She Goes," a highlight of most White shows since his solo career began in 2012.

Following an expected encore break during which some in the crowd began to chant the melody of "Seven Nation Army" far too early in the night, the band came back to the stage to begin a jam while an actor in costume as "Frozen Charlotte" the character danced across the stage, throwing play money into the front rows, and waving a cue card that read, "I still call it DTE Energy Music Theatre" before being booed by the band and the crowd, then comically chased off the stage by White as he returned to begin the final portion of the show. Originally opened in 1972 as Pine Knob Music Theatre, the venue's name changed due to local power company sponsorship from 2001 to 2022 before reverting to its original name, much to the delight of area concertgoers. The remaining songs continued to alternate between some of White's newer solo tracks and fan favorites from his earlier projects including especially spirited takes on "Icky Thump" and an absolute shredding through the riff-heavy "Little Bird" by The White Stripes and a surprising run through The Raconteurs' murder ballad deep cut "Carolina Drama," a song all White fans know and love but which has no real chorus or repeated lyrics with which the crowd can sing along.

New songs including "Thick as Thieves," "Derecho Demonico," and "Raising the Grain" were featured alongside White's 2013 solo hit, "Lazaretto," the only track performed from that album, and none at all were included from his third, fourth, or fifth solo releases nor were any tracks from his goth garage group The Dead Weather. After nearly two full hours of music that followed five other Detroit acts, White and his band drove it home with a predictable but nonetheless energetic "Seven Nation Army," which has now grown so large in pop culture that the audience chants the main riff melody throughout the entire song, even in Detroit. To say the night was full of musical magic sounds cliche and overstated, but there are certain performers who bring something unique to the stage, whether due to their personality, talent, unique perspectives and takes on various topics, or a combination of any or all of these elements. With due respect to Eminem, Jack White is the best and most significant rock and roll figure to emerge from Michigan's (and especially Detroit's) lengthy musical legacy in over 30 years, and any rock fan would be hard pressed to see one of his shows and walk away feeling otherwise. While Muir, Michigan's own Billy Strings is blasting off like a rocket to represent the next generation currently on its way up, Jack White's steady and consistent artistry, songwriting, and performance style continues to be unmatched among his peers both now and likely for decades to come.

*Watch a pro-shot webcast video (courtesy of Nugs' official live stream) of the full show here!

Jack White (7/25/26) set list:
Intro (jam)
That's How I'm Feeling
Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground (The White Stripes)
Sixteen Saltines
Dollar Bill
It's Rough on Rats
Hotel Yorba (The White Stripes)
Broken Boy Soldier (The Raconteurs)
G.O.D. and the Broken Ribs
Cannon (The White Stripes)
Old Scratch Blues
The Union Forever (The White Stripes)/Old Scratch Blues (cont.)
Delta Bound (Rosetta Howard)
Fell in Love with a Girl (The White Stripes)
Steady, as She Goes (The Raconteurs)
-------------------------------- 
Encore intro (jam)
Icky Thump (The White Stripes)
Thick as Thieves
Derecho Demonico
Carolina Drama (The Raconteurs)
Little Bird (The White Stripes)
Raising the Grain
Lazaretto
Seven Nation Army (The White Stripes)
-------------------------------------------------- 

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Dinosaur Jr. Rock Lansing!

A packed Friday night in late July saw Lansing's Grewal Hall host one of the legends of grunge when Dinosaur Jr. took the stage to an enthusiastic and welcoming crowd. Back to featuring all three original members of the group since 2005 (after periods with as few as one), these veteran rockers showcase a creative twist on the power trio approach which includes co-lead singers who alternate between bass and guitar and a sonically dense bank of effects that represent their era as well as any of their peers.

The evening began with an engaging opening set by Detroit's own Stef Chura which saw the venue nearly full over an hour before the headliners began. After a brief set change, Dinosaur Jr. arrived with a blend of fan favorites ("In a Jar," "The Lung," "What Else Is New"), deep cuts ("Gargoyle," "Sludgefeast," "Freak Scene"), and their most notable hits, "Start Choppin'" and "Feel the Pain," which got the biggest audience reactions of the night and which were performed back-to-back near the end of the main set. The setlist leaned heavily on material from the band's first two albums, spanning 1985-1987, (seven of the first ten songs were from those albums) and gave little attention to new songs ("Several Got Away" being the only one featured) in spite of a forthcoming album, There Near, released just one month after the show.

The performance itself was strong and included engaging contrast throughout. Bassist/vocalist/guitarist Lou Barlow was especially animated and moved around his half of the stage all night while guitarist/vocalist/bassist J. Mascis' was stiff and concentrated primarily on executing his leads and solos. Drummer Murph held things down in the center of the stage with consistent and precise work through changing tempos and dynamic. Early in the show, Barlow dealt with a few issues with his bass amp and then requested his spotlight be turned down, and beyond that adjustment, he seemed content the rest of the night. A native of Jackson, Michigan prior to co-founding the band, Barlow posted pictures from Westwood Mall the day before the concert and wore a Cascades Falls T-shirt on stage.

The ability to alternate lead vocalists is another key ingredient to Dinosaur Jr.'s live show, and while he missed a period of the band's history, Barlow's lead vocals on songs like "Garden," "Mountain Man," and "Gargoyle" created a nice balance with the others, sung by Mascis. Well known for his guitar wizardry and for playing at an intensely high volume, Mascis was surrounded by a semicircle of Marshall stacks and lived up to his reputation, shredding on leads and solos throughout. In spite of also being known for being curmudgeonly at times, both Barlow and Mascis were mostly good humored and even made a few jokes here and there, but the majority of their attention was on the music. An extended, noisy jam on "Gargoyle" concluded the main set, and the two-song encore flooded the room with guitar overdrive and heavy flanger on "What Else Is New" before concluding with a rocking cover of The Cure's "Just Like Heaven," a staple of their show for decades, which includes the use of whammy bar and wah-wah, simultaneously and a sarcastically heavy metal take on the chorus.

Seeing a group like Dinosaur Jr. now carries even more weight and significance than it may have in the past, partly because of the resurrection of the project and all original members after years without most of them but also because they are one of the survivors of their era. There is a magic to the original grunge and proto-grunge bands that was certainly imitated and watered down with each successive wave of '90s alternative rock, but which can't be equaled or duplicated by those that came after them. Groups like Pixies, The Breeders, Meat Puppets, Smashing Pumpkins, and even newer projects that feature members of classic, now defunct bands create a sound and a vibe unique to that special mid-'80s to mid-'90s stretch of rock history. It's even a part of why legends like Pearl Jam continue to bring in huge crowds wherever they play, even after 36 years. Take advantage of the opportunities to see these projects when they pass through your area. You never know how many more times they may cycle through, and there's nothing else quite like them.

Dinosaur Jr.'s U.S. tour continues into the autumn. Check their site for dates and tickets.

*Watch a fan-shot bootleg video (one-shot/tripod with decent sound) of the full show here!

Dinosaur Jr. (7/24/26) set list:
The Lung
In a Jar
Garden
Several Got Away
Repulsion
Little Fury Things
Out There
Kracked
Sludgefeast
Mountain Man
Start Choppin'
Feel the Pain
Freak Scene
Gargoyle
----------------- 
What Else Is New
Just Like Heaven (The Cure)

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Doors Tribute Rocks Warner Vineyards

Warner Vineyards in Paw Paw, MI (a bit west of Kalamazoo) had another rocking summer with excellent tribute shows and national touring acts alike. In addition to tributes to The Beach Boys, Van Halen, Tom Petty, and others, an excellent salute to The Doors, the legendary psychedelic pop band from the late '60s and early '70s, graced the stage in late July.

Unlike many tribute acts, who present the material of a certain artist with band members in their own clothes, displaying their own personalities, The Ultimate Doors, a four-piece touring tribute band, performed in character, with each member playing the part of one of the legendary members of the original group. This included costumes and hairstyling that would have been seen at a Doors concert 55 years ago or so, and stage banter quoted directly from official live and bootleg recordings of various Doors' performances. Even the instruments, amplifiers, and additional props on stage (such as vintage Coke cans and paper cups of the era) added a theatrical authenticity that made the show far more interesting than seeing a group of musicians simply playing the songs. Considering The Doors' own theatrical style, and especially the performances of front man Jim Morrison, this all added a layer of engagement that heightened the experience.

Rather than restaging one particular Doors show from their all-too-short history, The Ultimate Doors created a composite show that included bits from each of the group's six classic albums, with most visual references and quoted ad libs coming from 1968-1970 performances that were thankfully filmed or at least professionally recorded and later released by the band.

After an entertaining opening set from The Rupple Brothers, The Ultimate Doors took the stage to a slightly sparse crowd that filled in as the show got up and running. It was wise to include a blend of hits, fan favorites, and a few deep cuts to keep the attention of everyone in the audience, regardless of their level of fandom. The leather pants clad singer performing the role of Jim Morrison clearly studied his mannerisms and moved about the stage and even into the front of the crowd at one point in a way the evoked the motions of the late rock legend. He even stopped to pose for photos with some camera-ready concertgoers holding his body and making funny faces that matched famous photos of Morrison. The organist in the position of Ray Manzarek likewise had his posture at the keyboards down pat, and his swinging blond hair and glasses made him completely disappear into the role. While the band's drummer and guitarist didn't necessarily look as much like John Densmore and Robbie Kreiger respectively, their execution on each instrument directly replicated the sound and style of the original players nearly perfectly, down to fills and accents that would have been ad-libs during original Doors' performances but which have now become almost as recognized as the songs themselves in some case.

The show itself was excellent! Things started with the medley of Alabama Song, Back Door Man, and Five to One that was made famous in large part due to its inclusion in The Doors' famous Hollywood Bowl concert in July of 1968 and was featured regularly for over a year afterward. The group followed with four popular songs from the band's earlier days, including "Love Me Two Times," "Strange Days," and the hit "Hello, I Love You." While the performances were accurate and precise, they also didn't drone or drag on beyond the lengths of their recorded versions, unlike many of The Doors' actual concerts, for better or worse. This choice made the show more approachable to the average patron but arguably is an authentic element that was really the only thing missing from the tribute.

The second half of the concert continued to feature songs from the first three Doors albums (including a showstopping "When the Music's Over") but worked in later-era tracks like "Touch Me," in its raw form, without horns, "Peace Frog," "Roadhouse Blues," and "Riders on the Storm," the only songs from the second half of Morrison's tenure to be featured (and nothing from The Doors' final two albums fronted by Manzerek were referenced). The decision to include these tracks along with those from the band's first three albums added another layer of creativity to the set list since The Doors rotated older songs out of the set as the progressed forward, so a concert that put a spotlight on each of their six albums (with Morrison) never actually happened, especially regarding tracks from 1971's L.A. Woman, from which only one song was featured in the tribute show.

A crowd-pleasing rendition of the group's most famous song, "Light My Fire" was followed by a brief tease of the beginning of the avant garde song/poem, "The Celebration of the Lizard" before quickly switching to a full-length rendition of the band's most haunting track, "The End," which concluded the main set. An enthusiastic response from the audience brought the band back to the stage for a one-song encore of "Soul Kitchen," also commonly featured as an encore by the actual band, before taking their final bow of the night.

Given the quality of the performance, one question is whether the band ever rotates other songs into the set, as they would probably sound as good and as authentic as the ones that were featured in Paw Paw. Overall, The Ultimate Doors is a must-see for any die-hard Doors fan, and even casual fans who may only know the greatest hits would be likely to have a great time. Don't miss a chance to catch them if they pass through your area!

The Ultimate Doors (7/23/26) set list:
The Movie (intro tape)
------ 
Alabama Song
Back Door Man
Five to One
Love Me Two Times
The WASP
Hello, I Love You
People Are Strange
Touch Me
Crystal Ship
Peace Frog
When the Music's Over
Roadhouse Blues
Riders on the Storm
Light My Fire/Graveyard Poem
Celebration of the Lizard (intro tease)
The End
---------------------- 
Soul Kitchen

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Weird Al Gets Weirder in Grand Rapids!

Spreading joy and weirdness across the country again this summer, the legendary rock parodist Weird Al Yankovic and his loyal, supporting band visited Grand Rapids early last month for another installment of his gigantic Bigger and Weirder Tour at the newly opened Acrisure Amphitheater.

Yankovic has been on the road since last spring on this trek, performing the same well-rehearsed, choreographed, and costumed "latest and greatest hits" show to rave reviews from longtime fans and first-timers alike. The tour stopped through Traverse City, Clarkston, and Kalamazoo already last year, and following the Grand Rapids performance, also hit the DOW Event Center in Saginaw. Dates are currently scheduled through the end of October, which will make it nearly two straight years of playing the same two hour show every one-to-three days (aside from the seasonal winter break), in addition to traveling in order to do so. It's unbelievable Al and the band could endure such a rhythm, but, as Metallica would also remind us, they are seasoned pros, and this is simply what they do.

Due to the carefully timed costume and set changes throughout the show, the set list cannot change from night-to-night, as Yankovic did throughout his recent "vanity tour" runs of deep cuts and non-hits. In spite of fair warning in the title, advertising, and promotion of that tour, some fans attended those shows and were disappointed the hits were not featured, especially those seeing Al for the first time. The Bigger and Weirder Tour almost feels like the obligatory follow-up, where Yankovic and the band got to "play what they wanted" for a few years and now feel they have to make-up for their self-indulgence by staging the opposite, a greatest hits set with a handful of newer songs produced for TV and film projects over the past few years that will leave everyone in the crowd satisfied. 

Rather than reviewing the show (which we already did last summer when they played Pine Knob), I wanted to consider how this meticulously planned show holds up to more than one viewing. First, comparing Clarkston to Grand Rapids, the main show was virtually identical. This extremely well-rehearsed set touches on nearly all of Yankovic's most successful and popular songs, including "Smells Like Nirvana," "Dare to Be Stupid," "Amish Paradise," "Fat," "White & Nerdy," and the double Star Wars encore of "The Saga Begins" and "Yoda," complete with costumed fans blanketing the stage. He even works a bit of "Eat It" into the medley section of the concert. The structure of the show is similar to one that Al has used since 1996 where video montages and comically edited TV clips are shown between some songs to allow the band to change costumes to accommodate certain songs, mainly to match imagery from the associated music videos (another of the many elements that helped Yankovic establish his brand in the early days of MTV). Jim West (guitar) and Steve Jay (bass), both with the band since 1983, and Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz, on drums since 1980, continue to back Yankovic superbly, matching the sounds and styles of a different artist or player on every song. Missing from this year's tour is longtime keyboardist Ruben Valtierra, with the band since 1996, who has not left the group but is currently out for personal reasons. Joining the main band are five additional musicians jumping in on guitar, vocals, horns, and percussion in various combinations, adding more depth to the music, more engagement to the performances, and create a sound comparable to Dweezil Zappa's longtime tribute tours featuring the music of his late father.

Opening the show since the tour began last year is the creative musician/performance artist Puddles the Clown, billed here as Puddles Pity Party. Performing a variety of cover songs and mash-ups, with no context, in a Pierrot clown costume comes across as more confusing and strange than funny at first, but once Puddles displays his vocal abilities and the comically sad angle of his clown character, his show ends up being somewhat lighthearted in an ironic way. His 2026 opening set is also very similar to the one he performed last year, but the mash-up of Metallica and Celine Dion songs has been replaced by a blend of Queen and David Bowie's "Under Pressure" with Idina Menzel's "Let It Go" from the animated film Frozen, which was debatably better received in Grand Rapids compared to the former mash-up in Clarkston. Puddles also appears one or more times in cameo during Yankovic's set, adding a bit more continuity for those who are present to view the entire show.

Seeing a concert on this tour more than once could go one of several ways depending on the viewer. The show itself is clearly geared toward first timers and fans who may have not seen Yankovic live in several years (or decades) and does a great job summarizing his career and catalog of hits. Seeing the show twice as a newbie would be fun but more so with more time between the shows (as opposed to seeing two stops on the tour in a row). Those who have seen Yankovic several times in the past are not getting a ton of new material on this tour, but even the additions of "Polkamania," "It's My World," and "Now You Know" make the show worth catching at least once, and I'm not sure it's ever possible to grow tired of the vocal freak-out at the end of "Yoda," so that's an added bonus. Unlike many other rock groups, who rotate new and old songs in and out of their shows monthly or even nightly in some cases, the lack of Yankovic's ability to do that with this type of show brings diminished returns for repeat viewers. Certainly, the occasion for attending more than once, or the person or group with whom you're attending, also affects the overall experience, but based solely on the show itself, hardcore fans are better off hoping for another deep cuts tour than they are attending Bigger and Weirder more than once.

Puddles Pity Party (7/3/26) 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) / Message in a Bottle (The Police)
America Today
Who Wants to Help the Clown? (interlude)
Estoy sentando aqui (Los Lobos)
Come on up to the House (Tom Waits)
In the End
Stairway to Gilligan's Island (Little Roger and The Goosebumps)
Who Wants to Help the Clown? (interlude)
Under Pressure (Queen) / Let It Go (Idina Menzel)
-------------------------------------------------

Weird Al Yankovic (7/3/26) set list:
Fun Zone (intro tape)
-------------
Channel Hopping (intro video)
Tacky
Mission Statement
Polkamania!
Drum solo (jam)
Everything You Know Is Wrong
One More Minute
Another One Rides the Bus (video interlude)
Smells Like Nirvana
Dare to Be Stupid
Medley: Party in the C.I.A./It's All About the Pentiums/Bedrock Anthem/My Bologna/Ode to a Superhero/I Love Rocky Road/Eat It/Like a Surgeon/Word Crimes/Canadian Idiot
Fat
It's My World
Captain Underpants Theme Song
Now You Know
You Can Call Me Al (Paul Simon)
Skipper Dan
Drum solo (reprise) (jam)
eBay
Stop Forwarding That Crap to Me
White & Nerdy
Amish Paradise
Band Intros (outro jam)
-------------------------- 
Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565 (Bach)
We All Have Cell Phones
The Saga Begins
Charge! (Tommy Walker)
Yoda

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Failure Rock the Shelter!

Alt rock faves Failure are on tour this year to promote their excellent new album Location Lost, and The Shelter in Detroit was one of the first stops. What a treat it was to catch this influential '90s group, still featuring their classic line-up, at one of the smallest rock clubs Detroit has to offer! A nearly sold-out crowd gathered early with anticipation and experienced a sampling of songs from each of the band's albums, not leaving out their most famous numbers but not lingering too long on 20th century material vs. songs they've released following a lengthy hiatus.

After an engaging opening set by All Under Heaven and a short set change, Failure took the stage to enthusiastic applause. Singer/guitarist/bassist Ken Andrews and co-founder, singer/bassist/guitarist/keyboardist Greg Edwards took turns delivering lead vocals and solos throughout the show, and drummer Kellii "Fucking" Scott, with the band since 1994, provided technically precise and consistent beats and rhythms through every song. The set was a nice mix of songs from the band's seven albums with extra focus, as always, on tracks from Fantastic Planet, their most known and successful LP and final release before their 17-year break that came at the end of a run on the 1997 Lollapalooza tour.

Easing into things with the new track, "A Way Down," Failure established the vibe and engaged the crowd with the Fantastic Planet album track "Smoking Umbrellas," which sonically paved the way for the rest of the night. The dense stage smoke and back lighting (without spotlights) added to the intimacy of the vibe and the anonymity of the band members. Focusing on 21st century material near the beginning of the show allowed for contrast with the classic '90s tracks, which began to appear mid-way through the main set. "Frogs" and "Undone" from Magnified and "Macaque" from Control were brief salutes to the band's earliest fans and reminded newer converts of how it all started in the heady days of grunge rock. 

The remainder of the main set ramped things up even further with three more Fantastic Planet tracks, including the band's biggest hit, "Stuck on You," which predictably got the biggest reaction of the night. Considering the size of their catalog, Failure does a great job of balancing their set lists to ensure their most popular and well-known album is always represented more than any other while working in a taste of all the others. Considering they played Fantastic Planet in full each night on a popular 20th anniversary tour in 2016, it's understandable the band would want a balanced blend of songs at any given show rather than always or only focusing on the most well-known numbers, though their audiences would never complain to get more from that particular album.

Following a short encore break, Failure returned to the stage to perform one more new track, "The Rising Skyline," and two more from Fantastic Planet to close the show, including the crunchy ballad "The Nurse Who Loved Me," which gained tremendous recognition after A Perfect Circle's cover version made it famous to an entire audience of people who may not even have heard of Failure until long after it was a crowd favorite. Partly because of that elevated status, and partly because it's one of the few Failure songs in which the lyrics can be more clearly understood, that particular track received the greatest amount of crowd participation and had everyone in the room singing along, something that appears to be both old hat and also still appreciated by the band members themselves, who both expected and encouraged it before and during the song's performance. The show ended on a high note with "Another Space Song," and the members of the band took a bow and briefly met with fans once the house lights came up. All told, Failure's current show is a perfect fit for any fan of the group, especially those who have continued to follow their new material released over the past 12 years, and even to the uninitiated, it summarizes their sound, their style, and their current vibe perfectly. Considering the agonizing detail that goes into the songwriting, performance, and production of their material, that's no small task.

Failure (5/19/26) set list:
A Way Down
Smoking Umbrellas
The Air's on Fire
Counterfeit Sky
Headstand
Frogs
Macaque
Undone
Sergeant Politeness
Submarines
Stuck on You
Heliotropic
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The Rising Skyline
The Nurse Who Loved Me
Another Space Song
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