Reviews: The Who, Jonas Brothers, Flying Lotus & More

This week, for your reading enjoyment, we have compiled critical reviews of live performances from The Who in Toronto; Jonas Brothers in Pittsburgh; Flying Lotus in Columbus, Ohio; Heart in Tacoma, Wash.; Bon Iver in Morrison, Colo.; and Slipknot in Holmdel, N.J.

Scott Legato / Getty Images – The Who
The Who keep the crowd entertained at the 50th Festival D’été De Québec at Plains Of Abraham in Québec City July 13.

The Who @ Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ottawa, Sept. 3 – “But really the crowd came to hear Who classics and on that front, Daltrey and Townshend didn’t disappoint, even if it took them a while to get warmed up despite such familiar stage moves as Daltrey’s mic cord twirling and Townshend’s windmill guitar strokes.” – Jane Stevenson / Toronto Sun

Jonas Brothers @ PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa., Sept. 3 – “The predominantly female crowd erupted in shouts and shrieks the moment the Jonas Brothers first came into view atop a platform descending from the rafters, slowly reaching the stage where the siblings struck a triumphant but grateful-to-be-there pose. Nick wore an all-orange lounge coat and slacks; Joe went with an all-blue jacket and pants over the same-hued shirt; Kevin opted for all green. None wore socks.” – Scott Tady / The Times

Flying Lotus @ Express Live!

in Columbus, Ohio, Sept. 2 – “Upon entering Express Live for the Flying Lotus show Monday, concertgoers were handed a set of red 3D glasses. They might as well have received a red pill. The nearly 90-minute, career-spanning set that followed was every bit as mind-altering and perception-shattering as entering the “Matrix.” Indeed, it was the rare indoor concert that felt grand and cosmic and transformative.” – Justin McIntosh / Columbus Alive

Rob Grabowski/Invision/AP – Heart
Nancy Wilson, of Heart, performs during the “Love Alive Tour” at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Chicago, Ill. on Thursday, July 11.

Heart @ Tacoma Dome in Seattle, Wash., Sept. 4 – “There would be no overtly sentimental show of harmony Wednesday on the curtain-lined stage, done up like an elegant ballroom. Really, one of the only gratuitous displays of affection came from a canoodling couple in the crowd during the band’s potent (and more popularized) spin on Toronto’s “What About Love,” which made Tacoma Dome feel like a cozy, glitzy (given the ballroom motif) karaoke bar, listening to someone with way better pipes than your co-worker.” – Michael Rietmulder / Seattle Times

Bon Iver @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colo., Sept. 3 – “The concert was a moment of pause, wherein the world was cut away, and the haphazard shapes of the rocks and the stage were the only things that stood between each individual fan and the band. In a perfect world, you could have died right there, but to put it in less poetic terms — there are many beautiful concerts, and then there’s Bon Iver.” – Kori Hazel / 303 Magazine

Slipknot @ PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, N.J., Aug. 30 – “Despite a three-year gap between tours — and five years between new albums — frontman Corey Taylor showed no interest in easing fans back inside Slipknot’s blazing nightmare factory Friday night. Instead, he and the rest of the sprawling, nine-piece outfit gave the the screaming crowd of 15,000 at PNC Bank Arts Center a hard shove, as pounding heavy metal jams enveloped the amphitheater straight away. “ – Bobby Olivier / NJ.com