Reviews: KISS, Mariah Carey, The Monkees & More

This week, for your reading enjoyment, we have compiled critical reviews of live performances from KISS in Minneapolis; Mariah Carey in Atlanta; The Monkees in Glenside, Pa.; Bryan Ferry in Auckland, New Zealand; and Kylie Minogue in Sydney.

Mohegan Sun / Khoi Ton – KISS
Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Conn.

KISS @ Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn., March 4 – “They opened strong with ‘Detroit Rock City,’ ‘Shout It Out Loud’ and ‘Deuce.’ Unfortunately, it quickly became clear [Paul] Stanley’s voice has deteriorated significantly in recent years. He was clearly singing live at times, other times, perhaps not. That freed up more microphone time for Simmons and his demonic bark, while Thayer tried his best to fill in some sonic holes.” – Ross Raihala / Pioneer Press

Mariah Carey @ Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Ga., March 5 – “Carey is such a studied pro that she instinctively lifted her left hand to her ear when approaching a piercing note – the better to hear herself – and throughout the show, her voice resided in prime multi-range form. Even ‘Vision of Love,’ performed late in the set, glided along with finger-snapping, soulful finesse.” – Melissa Ruggieri / Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Monkees @ Keswick Theatre in Glenside, Pa., March 6 – “Wednesday night’s show, then became a tribute to Tork and yet remained a lively presentation that refused to ruminate on nostalgia or sorrow. With a 10-piece ensemble behind them, ‘Mike & Micky’ sounded fresh and even brash for guys in their 70s. Mostly, though, the Mike & Micky team sounded like kings of power pop, joyful and content.” – A.D. Amorosi / The Inquirer

Bryan Ferry @ Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand, March 7 – “It’ll be no surprise to learn that his band was crash hot. Renowned UK session man Chris Spedding kept the funk tasteful, while also tearing through his guitar solos with a steady ferocity. While his drummer could have toned down the thumping theatrics during the more sophisticated numbers his enthusiastic playing made perfect sense on the more rollicking Roxy numbers like Re-Make/Re-Model, Stronger through the Years and Virginia Plain.” – Karl Puschmann / New Zealand Herald 

Kylie Minogue @ ICC Sydney Theatre in Sydney, Australia, March 5 – “The show skips along at a cracking pace, interrupted only by costume changes. There are five in total during the two-hour show and she probably could have skipped the home-girl-in-flannel shirt look. The last but one outfit is a sparkly gold dress, perfect for the Studio 54 disco section of the show as she pumps out New York City and The Locomotion under a rainstorm of glitter.” – Alexandra Spring / The Guardian