This week’s roundup of critical reviews recap live performances from Elvis Costello in Los Angeles; Ann Wilson in Atlanta; Tool in Pittsburgh; John Legend in Minneapolis; and Dierks Bentley Mansfield, Mass.
John Davisson – Elvis Costello
MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa, Fla.
Elvis Costello & The Imposters @ Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, Calif., June 4 – “This “Imperial Bedroom” tour is the least frantic-feeling of all the tours Costello has done since he reconfigured his backup band the Attractions into the Imposters. … [O]n this one, there are more frequent moments where they settle for just sophisticated, due to the increased presence of mid-tempo album tracks like ‘Human Hands,’ and maybe the civilizing influence of the women on stage.” – Chris Willman / Variety
Ann Wilson of Heart @ Buckhead Theatre in Atlanta, Ga., June 6 – “No doubt, there will always be something special about seeing Wilson on stage with sister Nancy slinging her guitar and the pair coming straight on for you. But experiencing Wilson solo in an intimate setting, sharing her versions of Black Crowes and Peter Gabriel songs and sensing her happiness at this liberation for however long it lasts, conjured its own magic.” – Melissa Ruggieri / The Atlanta Journal Constitution
Tool @ Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, Penn., June 5 – “With a no-frills, no-fun, anti-rock star creed, Tool certainly was an anomaly in the ‘90s/’00s, and a couple decades later, the sound has aged well.” – Scott Mervis / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
John Legend – John Legend
AXE Collective + Crew Powered by SPIN at the Belmont Austin at SXSW in Austin, Texas.
John Legend @ Northrop Auditorium in Minneapolis, Minn., June 7 – “The new songs were more artsy than soulful, more organic than funky, more embracing than exciting. But often that has been Legend’s calling card. With him, the words seem to matter less than his delivery, because this crooning piano man oozes romance. He could sing the phone book and make women swoon; his PG style is warm, caressing and seductive.” – John Bream / Star Tribune
Dierks Bentley @ Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Mass., June 3 – “With one foot planted on the country side and the other tapping along the rock and roll side, Dierks Bentley roared into the Xfinity Center Saturday night with a fun, solid two hours of his hits old and new.” – Susan McDonald / The Sun Chronicle