Kamelot Brought Style And Vigor To First Ave
Hey hey, hope you are doing well. A delightful sleepy September Monday in Minneapolis needs a little pick-me-up. Why not a little power metal to rattle those sleepy bones?
Since there was a Twins game going on, didn’t want to fight the meter, took the light rail downtown to start my journey. Popped into Hometowne for a happy hour beer and slice, sadly, one of those would not be had. I was informed, even though their “thing” is (and says everywhere on their menu) that you can get a slice any time, they were not doing it anymore after lunch. Bit bummed out, sipped by thankfully happy hour $6 IPA and dreamed about the delicious pepperoni I would not be having. They do offer a personal two topping for $10, but didn’t want to waste food and had no car that day with me to stow it for later, just chose to eat my purse’s trusty backup granola bar for dinner.
Time for a little First Ave action. Got there a little after doors, didn’t want to miss the opening support. Big deal, Frozen Crown was is the United States touring for the first time ever! Hailing from Milan, Italy, they really wanted to be on that stage. Lead singer Giada Etro is a blast on stage. Having the perfect blend of cool and powerful, she owned everything when in front of the crowd. Love seeing a cool confidence like she emits, plus, she can SING. Hitting all the notes while making sure to give love to everyone in the front row, the audience was smaller but plenty mighty. Tons of good energy exchange between performer and audience member. Alexandra Lioness, who just recently joined the group in 2025, was a beast on her guitar. Loved being almost inside her blonde mane as she whipped it expertly while taming her guitar into submission. Fellow bandmate and guitarist Alessia Lanzone has that magical element as well, with a smile that’s as infectious and bold as her playing abilities. After their set was done, saw some die-hard fans who were on literal cloud 9 outside First Ave relishing in their performance. So elated to see Frozen Crown kick ass during their first American run, and anticipate they will be back very soon.
Though the crowd was slimmer than typical for a metal show, the folks who come out on a sleepy Monday typically have some energy to burn. Visions Of Atlantis gave them plenty of opportunity to expel that when hitting the stage. Remarking that they had not been back to First Ave since on tour with Dragonforce, were pumped to crush it again in Minneapolis. And I am glad to say they kept that promise. They took us on a swashbuckling pirate tour of the seven seas, of course complete with sick themed costumes and props throughout their entire set. These Austrians know how to entertain. From billowing black blacks emblazoned with their logo being touted high above the fans, plenty of slick hats and flowing capes, skulls and challises crashing and clinking. They really know how to stick to a theme. Clémentine Delauney has a masterful control of her vocals, the operatic heights she can reach are astounding. Blending with Michele Guaitoli’s voice, the two together are bliss. Making sure to keep the pirate motif going, asked the audience to all sit on the ground and row to shore with the band. The audience, myself of course included, sat on down and made sure to participate whole-heartedly. Love the blend of symphonic black metal they foster, and now get why they have such a dedicated fanbase. Not only are they talented, they are just fricken so much fun live.
Now time for the headlining, and only American, band on the tour, Kamelot. Though formed in Florida, have many across-the-pond players now in their ranks. Been a few years since seeing them live, was pumped to see how they would fair this round after a few member changes since. Don’t worry, they were still badass AF. Loved seeing Thomas Youngblood, guitarist and vocalist, perform flawlessly. He has a finesse about him that reminds you why metal is so fricken cool. Confident, collected, and of course, crushed it. Formerly of Seventh Wonder, Swedish vocalist Tommy Karevik is exactly who you want as a frontman. With bold style and powerful pipes, he interacted so much with the audience while impeccably performing each song. Making sure to use the small walkout platform in front of the stage, could be within the audience who was so jacked to see him. Kamelot has so many genres within their sound, it is impossible not to find something you like when seeing them. A bit of gothic flavor, swaths of symphonic, power metal for a bit of razzle dazzle. Though the show wasn’t sold out, the energy was top-notch and full bodied. Favorite tune of the night has to be Liar Liar, with the audience scream-singing back to the band with honest vigor. Left feeling so light and satisfied after a night of jovial jams.
Gosh, isn’t metal just the best?
