August Burns Red – Cabooze – Minneapolis MN – February 16th 2019

I  will rate my overall experience on a 1-10 scale based on three categories (in this specific order):

Overall Entertainment Experience – Did I enjoy the set?
Performance – Are they good live?
Energy – Stage presence, overall energy, crowd reaction.

10 = Mind blowing experience. 1 = I’d like to leave now.
Now that we’ve settled that, time for the reviews.

The Venue: The Cabooze
This is now the second concert I’ve photographed at The Cabooze and the fourth time being there total. It’s the same place it’s always been. It was crowded, but this awkwardly-shaped venue is always crowded. The staff was friendly and accommodating, and the beer was cold. That’s just about all you can ask for at a sold-out show. 8/10

Miss May I – 7 8 8
Great opener for this tour. Tons of energy. Heavy as hell. There were circle pits and crowd surfers shredding the gnar. Having never listened to this band, I enjoyed this quite a bit.

Fit For A King – 8 8 8
The crowd was warmed up when they took the stage and it was balls to the walls until the end. Fit For a King took advantage of the intimate concert venue and ended the set by playing in the crowd. I can definitely see myself listening to more of this band.

August Burns Red – 10 10 10
They bring everything you look for in a metal show – energy, passion, group yells, and of course, the breakdowns. Everything they played was on point. Old and new stuff, they played it all flawlessly and the fans loved it. When the set was over, the crowd chanted “ABR” until Matt Greiner came out and played a 5 plus minute drum solo that led into the Zelda theme and eventually White Washed for the encore. I’m so glad I was able to be at this show. Buy tickets next time they come to town because it WILL sell out.

Review and photos by John Pesavent