Andy Black – Varsity Theater – Minneapolis MN – May 8th 2019

Andy Black “The Ghost Of North America Tour” The Varsity Minneapolis, MN 5/8/19

Andy Black returns to the Twin Cities in support of his latest release, “The Ghost Of Ohio”. For those of you that are not familiar with Andy Black, he is the lead singer and founder of the rock band Black Veil Brides. But the band and his solo work are two different things.  Andy Black is one of the few artists that has been able to have 2 music careers. His work in Black Veil Brides is very heavy and considered hard rock. While his solo career is very pop sensitive. He has fans that support both but also fans that gravitate to one or the other.

His latest release is filled with pop gems just like his first release. He worked his was through a set of both and added a Black Veil Brides song.  Some of the songs he performed included “Broken Pieces” where he shared a story about his recent appendix surgery. He performed “paint It Black” about his lovely wife Juliet Simms who is a great singer/song writer in her own right, “Beautiful Pain”, “Homecoming King” and the highlight for me, “Put The Gun Down”.

Andy Black has a very big gift for writing wonderful pop songs. But what I find most interesting is the introspection of the songs.  He deals with real life issues of pain, personal growth and believing in yourself. Many pop artists seem to be fearful to do that. That is what makes him a very unique talent.  He always seems willing to cut open a vein and share something personal about himself. Just go to one of his shows. He like to talk to the audience and you will learn a lot about him. If you like edgy pop music with substance, you owe it to yourself to give his music a chance. Better yet get out and see him live, he is very entertaining and his fans love him.  He will be on tour supporting the new album for the foreseeable future.

Review and photos by Tommy Sommers