Gary Clark Jr. – The Palace THeater – St. Paul MN – June 17th 2025

The Current and First Avenue present Gary Clark Jr live at The Palace Theater in St. Paul MN

Review and photos by Kyle Hansen

Gary Clark Jr. brought the heat to a packed Palace Theatre in St. Paul on Tuesday night, delivering a soulful, electrifying performance that reminded everyone in the room why he’s one of modern blues-rock’s most essential artists.

Opening with a roaring version of “Catfish Blues,” Clark set the tone early: gritty, passionate, and unapologetically raw. His guitar work was, as expected, transcendent — but it was his voice that stood out just as much. Whether growling through heavier blues numbers or sliding into falsetto during smoother R&B ballads, he commanded the stage with effortless charisma.

Midway through the set, he introduced a few tracks from his latest album JPEG RAW, including the standout “Maktub,” which blended hip-hop rhythms with his signature blues sound. The crowd responded enthusiastically to these new songs, with many clearly already familiar with the lyrics — a testament to the album’s strong reception.

Highlights included a soul-drenched rendition of “Our Love,” a blistering solo on “Bright Lights,” and a surprise extended jam on “I Walk Alone” that had the entire theatre shaking. His band — featuring two drummers, a keyboardist, and a tight horn section — gave the performance extra weight and texture.

The encore was a masterclass in dynamic contrast: he returned alone for a stripped-down, haunting version of “Things Are Changin’,” then brought the full band back for a raucous finale with “Blak and Blue.”

Clark didn’t speak much between songs, letting his music do the talking. And talk it did — of pain, resistance, love, identity, and the ever-shifting shape of American sound.

In a time where many live shows blur together, Gary Clark Jr.’s St. Paul performance stood out as both timeless and deeply rooted in the now.