Frank Turner and The Interrupters – The Fillmore – MInneapolis MN – April 29th 2023

REVIEW:  Interrupters and Frank Turner Concert – April 29, 2023 at Fillmore Minneapolis

Review and photos by Jim Zons

It was a fantastic night for live music at the Fillmore in Minneapolis on Saturday, April 29, 2023!   Frank Turner and his band The Sleeping Souls were joined by co-headerliner The Interrupters and special guest Chuck Regan for a jam packed musical Saturday evening at the Fillmore.

First up, Chuck Regan, whose short set had a distinct accoustic, Bruce Springteen vibe, with a strong, emotional delivery. I really enjoyed the unusal pairing of Chuck’s acoustic guitar with frequent collaborator Todd Beene and his pedal steel accompaniment and backing vocals.

Next up, it was Frank Turner tour co-headliners the Interrupters from Los Angeles.  The Interrupters have been around for over a decide, playing their energetic mix of ska, punk music that is instantly catchy, whether or not you’ve ever heard the band before!  From the first song, 2014’s “Take Back the Power” through the entire hour long set, it was a hyper, frenetic, fun show!  Lead singer Aimee Allen’s voice has loads of character, and she was wonderfully enaging as she was frequently interacting with the sold out crowd.

Finally, taking the stage for a tight set was the UK’s Frank Turner and his band The Sleeping Souls. This was Frank’s fourth North American stop this year and only the second US show so far this tour. Someone once asked me to describe Frank’s style of music … and it’s really hard to categorize!  It’s punk; it’s folk; it’s rock; it’s a combination of everything!  The set kicked off with “Punches,” a track from Frank’s ninth studio album, FTHC  (“Frank Turner Hardcore”), an uptempo number that set the tone for the rest of the show.  Frank’s music has a definite “UK” sound to it, if that is a thing!  Included in his set were a couple of nods to his music past, like the punk  “Non Serviam” and two solo accoustic numbers: “Be More Kind” and “Long Live the Queen” that had a distinct folk feel to them.  Otherwise, the rest of the set was full of energy and, for Frank Turner fans, plenty of music to sing along with!  The gig concluded with Frank’s 2012 song “Four Simple Words” whose refrain “I want to dance” seemed like the perfect lyrics to conclude a solid evening of remarkable music that made me want to dance!  As a side note, Frank’s keyboardist, Matt Nasir, was my buddy Mark’s guitar teacher in England before joining Frank’s band, so after the gig, Matt and a couple of his other mates in the band joined Mark and me for a few beers at Bunkers and a little music from GB Leighton on stage before boarding the bus for their next tour stop in Milwaukee .. it was a great way to end the evening!