9.26.26 - Minneapolis, MN

The six-piece band led by frontman Jack Antonoff took up the entire stage at the Armory, with Antonoff covering more ground than I’ve ever seen at that venue. The intricately designed set juxtaposed with Antonoff stomping, jumping, and kicking made for quite the spectacle. The energy he brought to Minneapolis on September 26 won’t soon be forgotten.

This Is Lorelei opened up the show with mellow indie pop music. This Is Lorelei is the solo project of Nate Amos, who, under the moniker, has released hundreds of songs spanning across different genres. Country stuck out to me the most with the setlist he chose to use for his set. Introducing none of his songs, and barely introducing himself, made it a little difficult to follow along or figure out which songs from the set you liked the most. Not getting bogged down by a loud stage presence allowed for music as the sole focus. He ended strongly with “Dancing in the Club,” which got the loudest cheers from the audience.

Photos by Rebecca Ackerman - @rackermanphoto

“My Way” by Frank Sinatra played as the lights dimmed and the crowd excitedly waited for Bleachers to step on the stage. The band took their places, and up on a high platform stood Antonoff. Looking into the crowd, they started the night with “sideways” and “the van.” The energy picked up with “Modern Girl” and never wavered after that. Antonoff screamed, and the crowd responded. If he whipped and thrashed his body around, a fan was doing the same.

*Photo by Rebecca Ackerman - @rackermanphoto*

It’s hard to go a day without hearing a song produced by Antonoff, whether you’re aware he had a hand in it or not. The 13-time Grammy winner has worked with Taylor Swift, Lana Del Ray, Lorde, Sabrina Carpenter, and Kendrick Lamar. As for his music, Antonoff is brutally human. He thrives in creating songs that make you feel something and transport you to a specific memory. His show in Minneapolis reflected that feeling. His 20-song setlist had an air of nostalgia and melancholy, yet he was triumphant and happy all the same.

Antonoff’s songwriting and production skills were apparent when he performed his songs. He honored his songwriting with “I Wanna Get Better.” A song so good he played it twice. First, he recognized the artistry of it with an acoustic version, and then he brought it back at the end with the full band.

Bleachers hadn’t played a show in Minneapolis since 2021, but the fans showed up just the same. Antonoff spoke of the performance and how they immediately went to Paisley Park (Prince’s private estate and studio) to record “Merry Christmas, Please Don’t Call." Before performing the song, Antonoff gave the caveat that it was “actually not really a Christmas song.”

Their setlist included the classics like “Rollercoaster” and “Don’t Take The Money.” Notably missing from the setlist was “Let’s Get Married,” which Antonoff previously refused to play at one of the Los Angeles shows earlier this month. As Antonoff himself said during the show, if you aren’t familiar with why he didn’t play it, “read the news.”

Bleachers, rightfully so, saved one of their most popular songs for last. “Stop Making This Hurt” was the exclamation point to a thrilling, high-energy night. Fans and Antonoff screamed the lyrics, “But if we take the sadness out of Saturday night / I wonder what we’ll be left with,” which was extra fitting for this Saturday night in Minneapolis.

Minneapolis took the sadness right out of that Saturday night and replaced it with unbridled joy they’ll hold with them until the next time they see a Bleachers show.