Soul Asylum November 17, 2023 Reilly Arts Center Ocala, Florida

So many great bands have come from the Midwest over the years, especially from the early 1980's. A list of those bands would be long and impressive. One fine example is, of course, Soul Asylum, hailing from Minneapolis. Along with Replacements, Husker Du, Suburbs and others, they helped define the sound of mid-America in the 1980's for me. Many of these bands are no more, but Soul Asylum continues to release new music periodically, and tour. The cast of characters has changed many times over the years, but Dave Pirner and whoever may be on stage with him, always put on a great show. I thought it was fitting that they payed homage to another Midwest band from a couple decades earlier with the cover of  MC5's "Looking At You" (Don't get me started on Michigan bands...).

1. Somebody To Shove
2. Bittersweetheart
3. Misery
4. Oxygen
5. Hopped Up Feelin'
6. Never Really Been
7. If I told You
8. Homesick
9. Without a Trace
10. I Will Still Be Laughing
11. Losin' It
12. Summer of Drugs
13. Black Gold
14. Runaway Train
15. Closer To The Stars
16. Made To Be Broken
17. Just Like Anyone
18. encore break
19. Lookin at You
20. April Fool

Download this show HERE.

Check out their social media presence, including Facebook HERE.

Links to video of most of the show (not my source) Here, Here and Here

Newsboys October 20, 2023 Family Christian Center Clermont, Florida

I've seen Newsboys several times now, and maybe enjoyed this one a bit more than the rest. 

The "Let The Music Speak" tour included a "trip down memory lane" where the members recalled some of their early favorites and played them acoustically.

Also, different this time was the addition of Adam Agee (Stellar Kart/Audio Adrenaline) to the band, who complimented the band's sound nicely.

The show was, of course, amazing, and Duncan Phillips' drum twirl never gets old. The entire drum riser elevates (no big deal). Then the riser tilts 90 degrees toward the audience (a little more interesting), then the riser spins in complete circles while Duncan continues to play (ok, pretty cool). 

I really became a Newsboys fan by proxy. I caught onto DC Talk toward their end, and followed Michael Tait's solo career for many years, so the logical progression was to check out Newsboys. 

Download this show HERE. Check out this tour (or any of their tours) if you have a chance. Visit their Facebook page HERE,

 

1. Magnetic

2. That's How You Change The World

3. Live with Abandon

4. Something Beautiful

5. I Still Believe You're Good

6. Restart

7. banter

8. Born Again

9. Miracles

10. banter

11. Jesus Freak

12. band intro

13. Shine

14. In The Light

15. Breakfast

16. Entertaining Angels

17. banter

18. One

19. What If I Stumble

20. It Is You

21. You Are My King (Amazing Love)

22. The King Is Coming

23. Your Love Never Fails

24. He Reigns

25. King of Kings

26. Stand

27. I Speak Jesus

28. banter

29. We Believe

30. God's Not Dead

31. Revelation Song

Matchbox Twenty October 7, 2023 Hammond Stadium Fort Myers, Florida

Hurricane Ian had been downgraded from category 5 to a category 4 hurricane when it made landfall on September 28, 2022, devastating parts of southwestern Florida. Particularly hard hit was the Fort Myers’ area and the beautiful islands off the coast. Relief efforts have been ongoing, and on this night, relief came in the form of the Hurricane Heroes All-Star concert featuring Matchbox Twenty, Don Felder and others. The Charity Pros put together this event at Hammond Stadium, the first time such an event was permitted in the stadium in over ten years. The facility is home to the Mighty Mussels minor league baseball team, and is the spring training facility for the Minnesota Twins. On this particular evening though, it was all about giving back to the community in the form of music.

Having seen Matchbox Twenty just two months prior (after the tour had been rescheduled three times over three years due to Covid), on their Slow Dream Tour- their first since 2017, I knew what to expect, but was no less entertained. In fact, the band was a bit more raw this time since their tour formally ended in August and they hadn’t been playing together nightly. A new drummer, playing his first gig with Matchbox that evening, also added to the rawness. 

Grab their new album, Where the Light Goes if you are so inclined, and snag some merch HERE. Enjoy this one!

Download this show HERE.

1, Friends
2. How Far We've Come

3. Real World

4. Disease

5. Wild Dogs (Running in a Slow Dream)

6. She's So Mean

7. All I Need

8. Queen of New York City

9. Hand Me Down

10. If You're Gone

11. Mad Season

12. Don't Get Me Wrong

13. These Hard Times

14. The Way

15. Downfall-Knocking on Heaven's Door

16. Bent

17. Back 2 Good

18. Long Day

19. Rebels

20. 3 AM

21. Unwell

22. Push

23. Bright Lights

24. Don't You (Forget About Me)