Here’s what critics had to say about live performances from Paul Simon in Cleveland; Muse and Thirty Seconds To Mars in Kansas City, Mo.; Diana Krall in Portsmouth, N.H.; Marian Hill in Seattle; and St. Paul And The Broken Bones in Pittsburgh.
AP Photo / Julie Jacobson – Paul Simon
“2016 Global Citizen: The World On Stage,” Skirball Center For The Perf. Arts, New York City
Paul Simon @ Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica in Cleveland, Ohio, June 13 – “Simon’s voice has not really suffered the ravages of time, so very rarely did he seem to struggle to reach those signature high notes, and he was able to give the songs the same energy they had when new. As a result they all sounded so pure, so sweet, so real that it was as if the last 50 years hadn’t happened yet.” – Chuck Yarborough / The Plain Dealer
Muse/Thirty Seconds To Mars @ Starlight Theatre in Kansas City, Mo., June 12 – “Though [Thirty Seconds To Mars lead singer Jared] Leto was clearly frustrated by his lack of mobility, at one point ripping his knee brace off, his voice soared as the band tore through songs like “This Is War” and “Kings and Queens.” … With a clear sound mix and inventive backgrounds, enhanced by motion capture technology that turned band members into puppets and neon shadows, [Muse] was captivating.” – Andrew Gaug / St. Joe Live
Zsolt Szigetvary / MTI via AP – Diana Krall
Bela Bartok Concert Hall, Budapest, Hungary
Diana Krall @ The Music Hall in Portsmouth, N.H, June 14 – “’L-O-V-E’ allowed the singer to pay homage to Nat King Cole with some piano stylings that referenced the late singer’s fleet approach to the keyboard. Krall obviously enjoys pushing the microphone away to just play piano as much as she likes to sing.” – Steve Feeney / Portland Press Herald
Marian Hill @ Moore Theatre in Seattle, Wash., June 7 – “The catchy beats along with the smooth vocals have set the act apart from others and with every new release they only get better. Gongol confidently moved across the stage dancing around and constantly engaged with the fans, often looking intensely at Lloyd waiting for him to set the tone.” – Sophia Barkalakis / NorthwestMusic Scene
Scott Legato / RockStarProPhotography.com – St. Paul And The Broken Bones
The Fillmore, Detroit, Mich.
St. Paul And The Broken Bones @ Downtown Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Penn., June 11 – “Continuously showing the range in his voice, Janeway portrayed vulnerability, strength and self-discovery whether he crept to the mic, sprawled on stage and danced in circles.” – Fitale Ware / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette