Bleachers at The Armory in Minneapolis, MN. [Photo by Matt Norris]

MATT NORRIS | Go Venue Magazine

Opening the September 26th, 2026 show is Nate Amos, known as This Is Lorelei. A keyboardist, bassist and drummer accompany Amos on stage to kick things off with a rock-pop start. The group reminds me of a more refined Dandy Warhols sound, specifically from the New Bohemian era, while Amos himself looks like a young Ben Gibbard. I welcome both of these aspects as they play song after song, some of my favorite moments involving atmospheric swells that took over the space in waves. Though I wish they had spent some time to talk about the songs or group, it didn’t detract from their presence. Before their final act, Amos did briefly announce the group This Is Lorelei, and made mention of the names playing tonight, however it was brief and a bit mumbled.

It’s clear that Amos and This Is Lorelei is a band that’ll only be more familiar in the years to come. I’d recommend seeing them with Bleachers or on their own in the future without hesitation.

The house lights are off, and sodium vapor lights began to glow in the fog that had been slowly filling the Armory between acts. The neon-orange glow that once lined streets now lit the crowd in a monochromatic light, a nostalgic feeling from a time not so long ago. On the speakers, Frank Sanatra’s “My Way” had started to take hold. The audience began to sing along part way through. Then it happened — Bleachers came onto the stage to finish out “My Way,” seamlessly with Sinatra’s recording and the crowd.

The September 26th, 2026, concert transitioned right into Bleacher’s “sideways,” and Antonoff’s appearance was a smidge off. With a quick lean back from the mic, he wobbled slightly. Antonoff’s face looked surprised as the mic nearly fell into him. This happened several times over the course of the first song, and it was apparent that this was a different Jack Antonoff than I’d seen perform previously. Lyrics were somewhat slurred, though understandable, and the sound of the band was perfection. Maybe a little too much celebration before the show? Whatever Antonoff’s state, he continued to give it his all, dancing around the stage, even playing on top of the speakers. I for one am glad to know we have humans performing human-made music in this era.

This level of excitement continued through the van, and again and again to “Modern Girl,” “Jesus is Dead,” and “Wild Heart.” The audience clearly remained engaged with songs new and old, enjoying Antonoff’s wild dancing around the stage. “Everybody Lost Somebody” had the saxophones out again, Zem Audu and Evan Smith may be some of the best players touring period — both delivering incredible saxophone performances, song after song, let alone all the other instruments they were playing throughout the concert. Mikey Freedom Hart, Sean Hutchinson and Mike Riddleberger also ever-present, their sounds and variety of positions (backing vocals, drums, synthesizers, keyboards, bass guitar) seamlessly build the tapestry of the Bleachers sound. Like a well-oiled machine, players were constantly rotating between instruments and sounds without any friction, save for some of Antonoff’s blurry lead vocals. I hope for the band’s sake (and Antonoff) that this was a one-off in their performances.

The 21-song long setlist included a snippet version of “Dream of Mickey Mantle” I didn’t see present on other recent set lists. Perhaps this explains why Antonoff seemed to be missing some of the lyrics, though I still found it surprising for a performer of his caliber to present such a way. Things picked up pace again with “Merry Christmas, Please Don’t Call,” and Antonoff made an attempt to talk about some of his time recording at Paisley Park the last time he’d been to Minnesota. I found it hard to understand what he explained, but alas, it was back in 2021 when Bleachers last hit Minnesota. The performance of “How Dare You Want More” was honestly fantastic, and for a minute here, I started to wonder if Antonoff was starting to come back towards his intended state for performing. Time for another quick story, the Bleachers Sound as Antonoff refers to it, about the note played on a Juno-6 synthesizer that started the Bleachers project. That sounds, played loud and clear for the audience, lead us into the original single “Rollercoaster,” which had the audience dancing and even people riding on shoulders. “Tiny Moves” kept the dancing going — and the whole show rocked to the end with “Don’t Take the Money” into a full-band version of “I Wanna Get Better” (earlier Antonoff sang it acoustic, before Dream of Mickey Mantle) with a little crowd surfing, and finally, “Stop Making This Hurt”.

Having experienced multiple performances of Jack Antonoff’s Bleachers in Minneapolis over the years, each show has been memorable. Bleachers consistently brings great showmanship on stage, gorgeous production quality and authentic energy from the presence Antonoff brings to town.

This year’s performance in Minneapolis hits near the end of the Bleachers Forever USA tour. Antonoff announced the band would leave them playing their absolute best, and that “there was blood on the stage and (he) didn’t even know who’s it was”, that’s how he wanted to leave us. The saxophonists kept playing as they walked off the stage, the crowed continued to cheer. Then, the house lights came up — Bleachers doesn’t do encores. They give the best show they can, front to end. If your city is one of the few remaining stops, hear this: Bleachers delivers a memorable show, and I continue to personally adore them for all they are; but Jack Antonoff’s unusually sloppy vocal performance tonight was a distraction when enjoying the rest of the magic happening.

Bleachers This is Lorelei All images © Matt Norris

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