NOTHING MORE The Truth Tour Storms Through Minneapolis! [Review & Photos]

The Truth Tour made its way to Minneapolis, Minnesota to help put some much-needed heat into the city. For those lucky enough to have snatched a ticket before the Skyway Theatre sold out, you got a fantastic show, for those that didn’t, you really missed out. Headlining the tour was Nothing More with support from Of Mice & Men, Badflower and Palisades.

Palisades kicked off the night and got the crowd moving. The band is supporting their newest album ‘Erase The Pain.’ The band consists of Lou Miceli’s on vocals, Xavier Adams and Matthew Marshall on guitars and a rhythm section of Aaron Rosa on drums and Brandon Elgar on bass guitar. They played a short set that focused on the new record, opening with “War” and then “Shed My Skin.” Some other new tracks included “Vendetta,” “Ways To Disappear,” and the closer “Erase The Pain.” The self titled 2017 release was represented with “Aggression,” “Let Down,” and Better Chemicals.” It is a difficult task to be the first band to play but they did a great job in playing their material and it seemed the fans appreciated what they did.

The Los Angeles based Badflower hit the stage next. They are currently riding the wave of their debut album called ‘Ok, I’m Sick.’ Vocalist and guitarist Josh Katz commanded the stage as the band worked through songs that included “Drop Dead,” “Soap,” and “Heroin.” The bands line-up is filled out with led guitarist Joey Morrow, bass guitarist Alex Espiritu and drummer Anthony Sonetti. Badflower was the one band I wasn’t familiar with but the songs were loaded with catchy hooks and infectious melodies. Not only did they have great songs but they were fun to watch and it was clear how much fun they were having on stage. The biggest response from the crowd came when band played “Ghost.” It resonated with the crowd and you could feel the vibe majestically pulsate with the emotion of the song.

Direct support came from the powerhouse known as Of Mice & Men. The band dropped the brilliant album ‘Defy’ in 2018 and began their set with the pulverizing “Warzone.” I don’t think they will ever escape the debate between former singer Austin Carlile and current vocalist Aaron Pauley. For me personally, I love what he has brought to the table and the balance between clean and unclean vocals gives the songs a great dynamic. More songs played off that album included “Instincts,” “Unbreakable,” and “Defy.” Of Mice & Men shine in a live environment and the music translates as you feel the rawness and emotion of the music bounce off your chest. Along with Pauley on bass and lead vocals, the band featured Phil Manansala and Alan Ashby on guitars and David Valentino Arteaga on drums. The set was all too short for my taste as they ripped through “Would You Still Be There,” “O.G. Loko,” and the newly released song “How To Survive.” They closed the set with “You Make Me Sick.”

Headliners Nothing More took the Skyway Theatre by force. I don’t know why I’ve never caught these guys live before but I was sucked into the show instantly. From the opening song, “Let ‘Em Burn,” the crowd was fully invested to every sound wave that came off the stage. Seeing this band is nothing short of incredible. The energy was soaked in adrenaline and it fed into the crowd. It is difficult to take your eyes off vocalist Jonny Hawkins. He demands your attention and your waiting to see what he does next. That’s not to say the rest of the band didn’t have fuel to throw onto the fire. Guitarist Mark Vollelunga, bassist Daniel Oliver, and drummer Ben Anderson provided a sonic punch that that had the Skyway at its mercy all night long. Nothing More played just about everything I wanted to hear. Song like “Christ Copyright,” “Do You Really Want It?,” “ Jenny,” and “Mr. MTV” were some of my favorites from the night.

I’ve heard about the machine known as The Scorpion Tail and I finally saw it in action. It lifted Hawkins into the air to the fans delight. It was quite the spectacle and clearly one of the most anticipated moments of the night. The band kicked into “We Will Rock You” by Queen while Jonny led the crowd in a sing-along before The Scorpion Tail returned its rider to the floor. The show came to close with song “Salem (Burn The Witch)” and that capped a fantastic performance. My takeaway from seeing Nothing More for the first time was a feeling of appreciation. You can feel their passion from the stage. They gave it everything they had to put on an amazing show and that shows the respect for their fans and the craft they continue to perfect.

The Truth Tour not only included a great set of bands, but two organizations were attached to it as well. The first was HeadCount, the non-partisan voter registration that handles first-time voters’ registration needs. The other was To Write Love On Her Arms, the non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and options for people struggling with depression and addiction. One dollar from the purchase of every ticket will be donated to To Write Love On Her Arms.

Fans that flocked into the venue for this tour did not leave disappointed. All four bands brought their unique flavor to the stage and gave fans everything they were expecting from the evening. This tour is selling out fast so I suggest grabbing a ticket now and not missing this run of dates. This is fun package of music and I’m glad I caught it.

MARCH

10 Playstation Theatre, New York, NY

11 Webster Theater, Hartford, CT

12 House of Blues, Boston, MA

13 The Fillmore, Silver Springs, MD

15 The Fillmore, Charlotte, NC

16 Buckhead Theatre, Atlanta, GA

17 The Ritz Ybor, Tampa, FL

19 New Orleans, LA**

20 House of Blues, Houston, TX

22 South Side Ballroom, Dallas, TX

23 Aztec Theatre, San Antonio, TX