Summer is in full swing and the reviews are coming in from everywhere! This week we’ve gathered write-ups of performances by Ed Sheeran in Montreal; John Mellencamp and Emmylou Harris in Atlanta; Nine In Nails in Bakersfield, Calif.; Idina Menzel in Raleigh, N.C.; and Jack Johnson in Greenwood Village, Colo.
Grant Pollard / Invision / AP – Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran is on the bill at the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, England, June 25.
Ed Sheeran @ Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Jul 19 – “It was a surprisingly high-octane conclusion, but by that point Sheeran could afford to leave everything on the stage. He had already done what few Bell Centre headliners have, conquering as an army of one while by and large preserving his modesty. He earned that poutine.” – Jordan Zivitz / Montreal Gazette
John Mellencamp/Emmylou Harris @ Chastain Park Amphitheatre in Atlanta, Ga., July 18 – “Mellencamp’s brusque personality might not make you want to hug him, but his continued authenticity is a slap of relief in a music landscape drowning in superficiality. … Backed by her ace band – the Red Dirt Boys – including keyboardist/accordionist Phil Madeira and guitarist Will Kimbrough, Harris was a quiet presence who was nonetheless captivating every time she closed her eyes to strum a note on her acoustic guitar.” – Melissa Ruggieri / Atlanta Journal Constitution
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Scott Legato / RockStarProPhotography.com – Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails
The Palace Of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Mich.
Nine Inch Nails @ Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield, Calif., July 19 – “Nine Inch Nails visually stunned – at times, quite literally stunned – with a 75-minute set that was equally stark and minimal (especially early on, when stage hands walked among the band shining handheld spotlights) and explosively overwhelming.” – Joshua Tehee/ The Fresno Bee
Idina Menzel @ Red Hat Amphitheatre in Raleigh, N.C., July 19 – “At her concert Wednesday night at Raleigh’s Red Hat Amphitheatre, Menzel’s impressive and powerful vocals were front and center, and her raw and self-deprecating personality shone through. … It was an eclectic and non-stop show, and the audience was filled with little girls, some of whom dressed up as Elsa, Menzel’s ice queen character in the animated film ‘Frozen.’” – Leah Moore / The News & Observer
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James Hendershot – Jack Johnson
Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, Md.
Jack Johnson @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre in Greenwood Village, Colo., July 14 – Despite occasionally forgetting a few chords or starting to sing the wrong verse — two things that normally go unnoticed by the audience — he laughed it off and turned the mistake into a comical feature. Johnson’s entire performance was genuine down to the core.” – Michael Tritsch / 303 Magazine