Twin City Takeover – Staind, I Prevail, Asking Alexandria, and Dayseeker – Xcel Energy Center – St. Paul, MN – May 4th, 2024
Twin City Takeover – Staind, I Prevail, Asking Alexandria, and Dayseeker – Xcel Energy Center – St. Paul, MN – May 4th, 2024
Review and photos by Kate Klaus
Twin Cities Rock station 93X assembled a stacked line-up for the annual Twin City Takeover at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN on May 4th, 2024 including Staind, I Prevail, Asking Alexandria, and Dayseeker.
California post-hardcore rockers Dayseeker started off the night with an incredible performance that surely gained them some new fans. The crowd had filled in early for the set, and their 7-song performance was received with cheers and enthusiasm that lit up the arena. Their stage set was simple, with minimal lighting and just a screen backdrop displaying the cover of their album “Dark Sun”, but the emotion-filled performance was such a captivating presentation that it was actually fitting to have such a simple stage setup so that the music and delivery could take center stage. Singer Rory Rodriguez’s range is unbelievable, with a deeply emotional delivery based in his connection to the lyrics and sentiments behind their emotionally-charged songs. It was a perfect start to the night, and one of the best and most genuine live performances to open a show of this caliber.
Asking Alexandria was up next, and they took the stage to a deep and dense fog. Their dark tones cut through the ghostly stage, and fired up the crowd even more. Definitely heavier and more raw than the previous set, they filled the massive arena with energy and power, and their non-stop movement on stage showed a deep intensity for their performance. Lead singer Danny Worsnop had a subtle yet commanding presence, spending a lot of the show shrouded in fog and darkness, but with his voice and growls cutting through and reverberating throughout the arena. It was a rock-solid performance full of energy and heat.
I Prevail took the stage a member short, with singer Brian Burkheiser still recovering from surgery. Despite this absence, they absolutely nailed their performance, with co-vocalist Eric Vanlerberghe perfectly capturing the classic I Prevail sound, with the help of guitarist Dylan Bowman assisting on vocals. As with the previous set, their performance was filled with emotion and intense delivery, and the members truly seemed to be enjoying and fully engaged in their performance. When they sang crowd-favorite “Hurricane”, Vanterberghe asked the crowd to step in and sing-along, sending support to the band and recovering Burkheiser, and it was beautiful to hear the arena fill with the voices of the crowd showing their support. It was just a fantastic performance all around.
Closing the night were 2000s rockers Staind, who’s sound absolutely blasted out the arena. It was noticeably incredibly louder than the other performances, almost to the point of being slightly distorted and blurred. Their stage graphics were eye-catching, and guitarist Mike Mushok and bassist Johnny April brought energy and vitality to the stage, while Aaron Lewis perched somewhat stoically at the microphone, cigarette in hand, while he growled out his characteristic rock tones with an air of almost detached indifference. Despite the contrast in ambiance to the previous acts, their songs are classic hits that were well-received by the amped up crowd. Overall, it was an incredible night of rock music for a full and energized arena.
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