Inhaler – First Avenue – Minneapolis MN – March 19th 2022

93x and First Avenue presents Inhaler with special guests Junior Mesa

review and photos by Todd Johnson

Inhaler is a band out of Dublin, Ireland. Their first album came out right in the middle of the pandemic in July 2021. At the show at First Avenue the crowd was kinda split two ways. A very much younger crowd, similar in age to the band and also an older crowd who sees a spark in the lead singer that they had seen before. If the lead singer looks familiar or sound familiar, it is because he has kind of a famous dad. Inhaler’s lead singer is Elijah Hewson and his father is a singer named Paul Hewson. However, you might know Paul Hewson by his nickname that he got when he was teenager…. Bono Vox (or “Bono” for short) who is the lead singer of U2.  While the band is getting a lot of buzz and getting some good crowds at their shows, some people might say their growing popularity is because the crowds (specifically the older crowd) are there because they see a young Bono in Elijah and this is an opportunity to see a young Bono and (in a way) a young U2, which most people never got to see before U2 got famous. However, the band tries to distance themselves from U2, trying to make it on their own talent. From what I have heard the band is very humble and almost shy. Their music sounds more similar to ‘the Killers’ than to U2, with synthesized guitars and actual synthesizers from an unofficial band member on stage with the band (with a big Irish flag in front of his gear.) It was a short setlist, however, they are a new band and they are still building their repertoire. I have no doubt they will be a big band that will fill stadiums just like his old man.