CAPITAL ONE® JAMFEST FEAT. KATY PERRY AND ZEDD – Armory – Minneapolis MN – April 7th 2019

When large events come to Minneapolis, it can be a real roll of the dice when it comes to entertainment. I think we all can recall some of the very expensive entertainment the week of the Super Bowl, a freezing time of year. If one thinks back further, they will remember the All Star Game, complete with their insanely crowded free shows. That was in the summer though, so it was more appealing. These Final Four concerts are highly appealing because Minnesotans are finally crawling out from under the rock of winter and subzero temperatures.  We get really excited about stuff this time of year.   The Katy Perry show is the first time I have ever been to The Armory, so it may be quite different during regular shows, so please pay heed to that. The security was insane. The last time I had to remove my boots and hat was when I saw The Black Keys years ago at the Target Center. So that was a little nuts, but it is a huge event weekend.

Zedd opened the show and although I have seen him before, I’ve never reviewed him. I’ve never reviewed a DJ, so it’s new territory.  I very much enjoy his shows and this one was no exception. He’s a master at getting the crowd moving and creating really fun energy. Even people who you knew had no clue who he was were really enjoying the set. It just has a fun and balanced feel, unlike some rave style DJs I have seen where there doesn’t seem to be any real balance to things. He included mixes of AC/DC, Whitney Houston, and Bill Medley, which had everyone jumping. The set included the Grammy nominated “The Middle”, much to the glee of an audience singing it word for word.

The time between the two acts got a bit lengthy. Thirty minutes between sets can make people restless, especially when the time is filled with a lot of corporate talk on stage. I completely understand that Capital One put on the event and they have to promote themselves, but it was starting to bug people. Highlights of this intermission? Charles Barkley saying that the Timberwolves and Vikings suck, as well as a little girl being the one to introduce Katy Perry. That was fun.

Katy Perry took to the stage with her opener of “Hey, Hey, Hey”.  Such a great opening song, as it gets everyone moving and singing right away.  I’ve been wanting to see Katy Perry for years and was always either working or out of town when she was here, so this was awesome.  “Hey, Hey, Hey” is the perfect song for today’s political climate, pulling in the theme of strong women.  The song also has the sound of her older music, which is something that so many people love to hear.  Skipping around through the setlist was one of my absolute favorites, “Dark Horse”.  I love that song.  Regardless of how much it has been played, it’s still just such a great song and is amazing live.  I was standing next to a couple guys and their girlfriends in the middle of The Armory before that song started and those guys did not look like they wanted to be there.  When “Dark Horse” started, they completely flipped out, screaming at the top of their lungs about how much they love the song and singing every word.  If I was to describe what it is like to see Katy Perry live in one word, it would be that it is colorful.  Her shows are so colorful and fun and poppy. Honestly, if you ever just wanted to go have a lot of fun, even if you didn’t know her music, it’s a great show to see.  The age range in that place was amazing to – I have to make note of it.  I was at one point sitting next to a mom and her little girl who had to be six years old and kept asking, “When is Katy coming out?”.  Then about fifty feet from me was couple that had to be in their eighties, no joke.  That surprised me.

In conclusion, this show was an excellent way to wrap up the weekend of Final Four entertainment.  Minneapolis seems to do quite a good job at handling these events and regardless of the huge crowds and massive security, I felt this one was handled much better than others I have seen downtown.  They’re learning.