We’ve compiled critical reviews of performances by Kings Of Leon in Morrison, Colo.; The Pretenders in Glasgow, Scotland; Halsey in Toronto, Ontario; A$AP Mob in Washington, D.C.; and Jack Johnson in Tampa, Fla.
Amy Harris / Invision / AP – Caleb Followill of Kings Of Leon
“KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas,” Forum, Inglewood, Calif.
Kings Of Leon @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colo., Oct. 2 – “The only disappointment came when the song ended and the house lights came on as the band waved goodbye. Everyone waited in disbelief that there would be no encore. Although they played for almost two hours, the set still felt short — probably because it flew by, like all incredible concerts tend to do.” – Emily McCarter / 303 Magazine
The Pretenders @ Glasgow Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow, Scotland, Oct. 1 – “Even on an apparently off night – the capacity crowd didn’t seem too worried about the extempore features of the performance or the playful banter which did not quite flow as Hynde would have preferred – she was a rock ’n’ roll royal in her God Save the Queen t-shirt, sleeves literally rolled up for the crunchy new wave groove of Message of Love and the droll dub rock of Private Life, memorably covered by the equally imperious and mischievous Grace Jones.“ – Fiona Shepherd / The Scotsman
Jen Lowery / @JenLoweryPhoto – Halsey
Halsey performs for “Zedd Presents Welcome! Concert to raise funds for the ACLU at Staples Center in Los Angeles April 3.
Halsey @ Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Oct. 4 – “Taken on a one-by-one basis, the tunes are fine. When they’re delivered in bulk, however, they really start to blur together. There was so little stylistic range traversed between the very Weeknd-esque opening number ‘Eyes Closed’ … and late-set favourites like ‘Now or Never’ and ‘Young God’ that the numbers that stood out tended to be the ones that broke the brooding mould.” – Ben Rayner / Toronto Star
A$AP Mob @ Echostage in Washington, D.C., Sept. 27 – “Luckily, A$AP Rocky and A$AP Ferg shared the spotlight often enough to make up for the lesser-known acts. The first half of the show was predominantly performed by A$AP Rocky, who demonstrated exactly why he is the star of the group with his natural charisma. … When A$AP Ferg performed his breakout hit ‘Work,’ the audience’s energy doubled. It was easily the highlight of concert, with every person in attendance jumping and screaming for a three-minute stretch.” – Liam O’Donnell / The Hoya
Jack Johnson @ MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre in Tampa, Fla., Oct. 4 – “Between his placid voice, soft-rock sensibility and cover-boy looks, Johnson may be this century’s James Taylor, minus the whole tortured-poet persona. And like JT, he let his songs do most of the talking, rocking and swaying as they fluttered and bubbled in the air, smoke billowing in from the back of the loungelike stage.” – Jay Cridlin / Tampa Bay Times