The best Twin Cities concerts of 2023? Our critics chose Taylor Swift, Pretenders and Beyoncé
Jon Bream's top 10 concerts of 2023
Readers thought I'd lost it in my old age. They thought I called Taylor Swift's June 23 show at U.S. Bank Stadium the greatest concert I'd ever seen. No, I called it the most fan-fulfilling concert I'd seen in 48 years of covering music for the Star Tribune. No one left wanting more after 44 songs over the course of three hours and 20 minutes.
I saw the show twice in Minneapolis, once in Chicago and again as a movie. The Eras Tour was a triumph of ambition, vision, artistry, emotion, entertainment, endurance, details and connectiveness. It was unquestionably the concert of the year, one in which there were many, many memorable shows.
1. Taylor Swift, U.S. Bank Stadium, June 23-24. An all-timer.
2. Pink, Target Field, Aug. 10. So daring, so approachable and so personable even in a stadium.
3. Beyoncé, Huntington Bank Stadium, July 20. A stunningly ambitious production but we missed her biggest pop hits.
4. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Xcel Energy Center, March 5. Probably the most rewarding, spirited and fulfilling late-career Twin Cities concert ever by a rock icon of long standing.
5. Cory Wong, Palace Theatre, March 4. He was such an inspired and determined entertainer that you almost didn't appreciate how outstanding the jazzy instrumental work was.
6. Stephen Sanchez, First Avenue, Oct. 19. At 20, this retro rocker had them swooning like it was an early Elvis redux.
7. Sona Jobarteh, the Dakota, March 20. A resident of London and Gambia from the griot tradition, she was warm, gracious, funny, playful, interactive and superb on her 21-string kora with her global sounds that grooved.
8. Cécile McLorin Salvant, Walker Art Center, Feb. 24. Her original love story "Ogresse" was filled with drama, lies, humor, animation, terrific music and dynamic acting/singing by the brilliant one-woman cast/creator.
9. Brandi Carlile, Minnesota State Fair, Aug. 29. Once again, she was personal, confessional and super-excited to be back in the Twin Cities. With Wynonna Judd joining her, the emotional quotient increased manifold.
10. (tie) Pearl Jam, Xcel Energy Center, Sept. 2. Eddie Vedder and the boys rocked like it was 1995 — minus the scaffold climbing.
Ed Sheeran, State Theatre, Aug. 11. As if he was in his own living room, the stadium-bound superstar was graciously chatty about his current album, "-," and dropped news of his next LP.
Worst concert: Sam Smith, Xcel Energy Center, Aug. 16
Chris Riemenschneider's top 10
Yes, the big stadium shows by our era's mega-famous pop stars were truly awesome. But it was a tiny little show led by a 72-year-old rock legend that floored me the most.
Chrissie Hynde's birthday gig with the Pretenders in the undersized 7th St. Entry was a no-frills, all-in rock 'n' roll thrill ride that will probably go down as my favorite show ever in one of my favorite venues, where I also saw one of 2023's best newcomers put on a riveting performance.
1. The Pretenders, 7th St. Entry, Sept. 7. They mostly played "new" (post-1990) songs as if to prove they're not just an oldies band, and it worked incredibly well, as did Hynde's ageless vocals. Read the original review.
2. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the Armory, April 3. Colorfully dressed frontwoman Karen O shined in every way during her elegantly chaotic New York band's first Minnesota gig in a decade. Reviewed here.
3. Taylor Swift, U.S. Bank Stadium. The spectacle onstage was no match for the religious fervor offstage, maybe the closest thing to a Beatlemania experience in 50 years. Reviewed here.
4. Beyoncé, Huntington Bank Stadium. A performer I sometimes found too rigidly scripted, she cut loose more and added a deeper meaning even amid a giant production.
5. Pearl Jam, Xcel Energy Center, Aug. 31. The grunge heroes' first of two nights at the X was wall-to-wall packed with fans and intensity. Reviewed here.
6. Margo Price, First Avenue, Feb. 19. The power and beauty of her own cosmic retro-twang songs were underlined by a soaring cover of Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit."
7. Blondshell, 7th St. Entry, July 11. L.A. rocker Sabrina Teitelbaum, 26, delivered her darkly humorous post-grunge songs with devilish vigor.
8. The Cure, Xcel Energy Center, June 8. Maestro of mope Robert Smith sang beautifully and happily over three hours with strong new songs and deep-cut oldies. Reviewed here.
9. Killer Mike, First Ave, July 24. Breaking from his wicked rap duo Run the Jewels, the Atlanta rapper sounded divine with a gospel choir in tow.
10. Los Lobos, First Ave, Dec. 9. Give these unstoppable hombres a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction already.
Worst concert: Yung Gravy, Minnesota State Fair grandstand, Aug. 30.