Blues Traveler – Pantages Theater – Minneapolis MN – November 1st 2017

Blues Traveler brought their tour to the Pantages Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota on November 1, 2017.  The band is most well known for their ‘90’s hit, “Run Around”, but are known for much more.

Have you ever heard of HORDE Fest?  Yeah, that one.  Horizons of Rock Developing Elsewhere Festival is the festival that took place during the summer of 1992-1998, encompassing such artists as Foo Fighters, Beck, Allman Brothers Band, Primus, and many more over the years of its life.  Blues Traveler created it.  So for those of you that think they just did that “Run Around” song, there’s a lot more to them.  Other various accomplishments include twelve albums, with one going platinum six times, selling a over a combined ten million units worldwide.  They toured immensely throughout the 90’s, one of those bands that never seemed to stop.

Los Colognes opened the show, a Nashville based band touring their third studio album, Wave.  It is evident that they are inspired heavily by Fleetwood Mac, Dire Straits, and the Grateful Dead.  Listening to their music for less than one song will tell a person that.   The have a good blend of the sound of classic rock.  If you’re a fan of The Dead or Pink Floyd, you’ll enjoy them.

The music of the opener is a good flow into Blues Traveler.  Their setlist consisted of a number of songs spanning their albums, with “Run Around” clearly being a standout hit, reminding everyone of what they were doing in the 1990’s.   That song will forever be on any 90’s playlist – it’s just that popular.  The crowd loved them, bringing on an overwhelming sense of nostalgia.  They’re a great touring band.  They were known in the 90’s for their improvisational shows, something so many of their fans loved, and it seems they will be able to continue on with that style as long as need be.  Based on the Pantages Theater show alone, they definitely have the following for it.

Review and photos by Tommy Sommers.