Reviews: Howard Jones, Barbra Streisand, Metallica, Dolly Parton, Roger Hodgson, Henry Rollins

Howard Jones @ Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, Ga., Dec. 1 – “Jones, who looks eternally youthful at 61 with his spiky tuft of platinum hair, torn jeans and sneakers, injected the bright melody of ‘Everlasting Love’ with a pulsing backbeat and reminded the crowd of the message of Life in One Day’ (slow down…and you can change the world single-handedly, regardless of what his original lyric expresses).” – Melissa Ruggieri / Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Barbra Streisand @ Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla., Nov. 30 – “Streisand spoke at length between each song, telling stories about her life in film and music, battling for control of each project. She sang ‘Papa, Can You Hear Me?’ alongside a clip of her younger self in 1983’s ‘Yentl,’ a film she directed. Of her 1976 feminist ballad ‘Everything,’ she said: “That was my philosophy then, and I think it still is.” – Jay Cridlin / Soundcheck / Tampa Bay Times

Metallica @ Opera House Concert Venue in Toronto, Ontario, Nov. 29 – “Playing a rare club gig, a benefit for the Daily Bread Food Bank, at Toronto’s 950-capacity Opera House on Tuesday night to herald the release of their not-bad-at-all new album Hardwired . . . to Self-Destruct, however, Metallica capably demonstrated that it can still be a force to be reckoned with when it stops overthinking the process and simply gets on with the business of being the Metallica that everyone wants Metallica to be.” – Ben Rayner / Toronto Star

Dolly Parton @ Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Fla., Nov. 29 – “While Parton’s storytelling may have held center stage, though, it would be impossible to overlook her incredible musicianship. It can be easy to forget what a versatile and impressive musician Parton is, her ability sometimes eclipsed by her larger-than-life persona.” – Julio Diaz / Pensacola News Journal

Roger Hodgson @ Royal Theatre in Victoria, British Columbia, Nov. 29 – “’Take the Long Way Home,’ ‘School,’ and ‘Breakfast in America’ – staples of his former band’s catalogue  — helped Hodgson’s second Royal Theatre performance in the span of a week get off on a good foot. A few hours and plenty of singalongs later, he left the stage to an impressive roar from what was a boisterous and supportive sold-out audience. “ – Mike Devlin / Times Colonist

Henry Rollins @ The Pageant in St. Louis, Mo., Nov. 18 – “He hit the stage at 8:06 p.m. and didn’t stop talking. He didn’t stop talking for two and a half hours. Straight. No drinking water, no notes, no lengthy pauses. It was truly amazing, and that’s not even considering the weight of his words.”– Melissa Cynova / PlayBack:stl