Reviews: Justin Bieber, Sting & Peter Gabriel, Built To Spill, Lady Antebellum, James Taylor

Justin Bieber @ the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., June 29 – “He was at his best when he dialed things down and sat on a pink loveseat playing acoustic guitar (he’s a lefty, by the way) to ‘Insecurities’ and ‘Love Yourself.’ But that’s also when the largest chunk of the crowd chose to take a bathroom break so they’d be back in their seats when the bombast returned.” – Tom Szarolleta / The Florida Times-Union / Jacksonville.com

Sting & Peter Gabriel @ Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y., June 27 – “All of the performers seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely, and the expanded rhythm section added an extra layer of propulsion to songs such as Sting’s ‘Invisible Sun’ and ‘Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic’ and Gabriel’s ‘Shock the Monkey’ (sung by Sting).” – Jay Lustig / NewJersey.com / The Record / The Star-Ledger

Built To Spill @ Knitting Factory Concert House in Spokane, Wash., June 29 – “High points were ‘I Would Hurt a Fly’ from 1997’s Perfect from Now On, as well as several cuts from the last year’s Untethered Moon. Martsch’s guitar solos were grand throughout, but his work on ‘Carry the Zero’ took the tune near the 10-minute mark without letting it get boring. They even worked a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s ‘Effigy’ into the encore.” – Pacific Northwest Inlander / Mike Bookey

Lady Antebellum @ Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, R.I., June 28 – “Kelley and Scott sang to each other on ‘Just a Kiss,’ although Kelley later confided to the audience that it felt a bit strange since he and Scott are both married – to other people – and recently had babies. Oh, and Scott’s husband is right behind them, playing drums.” – Andy Smith / Providence Journal

James Taylor @ Wrigley Field in Chicago, Ill., June 30 – “James Taylor was only joking when he told a sold-out Wrigley Field crowd Thursday night that the ballpark reminded him of his living room. His kidding aside, the iconic singer-songwriter proceeded to turn the Friendly Confines into a cozy setting in which the stage doubled as the world’s largest front porch.” – Bob Grendron / Chicago Tribune