Avatar Takes Over The Airwaves In Minneapolis, Minnesota

Avatar brought the circus to Minneapolis, Minnesota and demolished the Fillmore. They are, without any doubt, one of the most entertaining live groups out there. Taking control of the venue from the moment they hit the stage and the crowd were completely consumed by them. They also managed to round up a very impressive bill that featured Alien Weaponry and Spiritworld.

 

 

 

One of my most anticipated tours that was on the schedule for 2025 finally landed at the Fillmore in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The ‘In The Airwaves USA 2025 Tour’ featuring the traveling carnival known as Avatar. They have been building up a steady wealth of fans through endless touring with bombastic shows that few bands can match. Fans were ready, I was ready, for another memorable night from a band I never get tired of seeing live. The line-up was perfect, not only did we get the mighty Avatar, but Alien Weaponry and Spiritworld rounded out a stacked bill that electrified the crowd the entire night. 

 

 

 

The Las Vegas band known as Spiritworld hit the stage first and they were not your typical band that sits on the bottom of the promotional tour poster that you can barely read. The bands sound was described by singer Stu Folsom as “Death Western” and it completely fit. Decked out in charro suites with skulls, vines and roses embroidered on the clothes and cowboys hats these guys absolutely clobbered the crowd. From the opening note of “Relic of Damnation” to the closing tune “ULCER,” they simply destroyed the place. Folsom commanded the stage as he paced the front of the stage from side to side while making a lasso out of the mic cord which hit me across the head on multiple occasions throughout the se. Until this tour announcement, I had not heard of Spiritworld but I have been quickly digesting the record they dropped this year called ‘Helldorado’ and I’m gong back through the other albums.  They hit with some serious hardcore vibes laced with a bit of thrash and some serious grooves. If anybody is hitting this tour, get there early and don’t miss this band. After this performance, I can say I am a big fan. A great opening set that really set the bar extremely high for the other bands to follow. 

 

 

 

Next up on stage was the highly anticipated three piece from Waipu, New Zealand known as Alien Weaponry. The band was formed in Auckland in 2010 with brothers Henry de Jong on drums and Lewis de Jong on guitars and lead vocals. The duo has been joined by bassist Turanga Morgan-Edwards since 2020. I actually saw Alien Weaponry on their first run through North America when they opened for Ministry back in 2018. I was impressed by them back then and I was excited to see how the band has developed and grown over the years. The lights dropped and a Maori chant echoed with a haunting feeling before they kicked into the the first song “Ru Ana Te Whenua.” The crowd quickly reacted to the tribal rhythm and groove of the song as it thundered through the venue. The sound of this band has fused in so many genres like thrash metal, alternative and groove metal. They intertwined that with the indigenous culture they come from to create something that is very unique. They released their third album in 2025 called ‘Te Ra’ and we got the song “Te Riri o Tawhirimatea’ off that album next. There was very little talking between the songs and the band ripped through a physical set and letting the music speak for itself. The band really knows how to lay down grooves that keeps the entire crowd in sync, it was very infectious. This band has grown so much in their delivery on stage since the last I saw them and I will continue to follow this band and hope they can continue to build Alien Weaponry into unit that more people will know about. They have a special vibe to them. 

 

 

 

The band everybody came to see was on next, Avatar. Hot off the heels of the newest and brilliant album “Don’t Go Into The Forest.’ It is the tenth full length studio album and it continued to showcase that Avatar refuses to confined to one musical style and direction. It is a ambitious record and fans were anxious to hear the new material along with some of the classic songs that have built the bands popularity across the globe. The lights dimmed and a deep blue hue took over the stage. Through the smoke you could see the silhouettes of the band moving forward towards of the stage. Vocalist Johannes Eckerström took center stage holding a lantern as the opening chant of “Captain Goat” engulfed the venue. That kicked off an eighteen song set that encapsulated the bands career to date. The intensity kicked up with “Silence of the Apes” and then one of my favorites “The Eagle Has Landed.” 

 

 

 

Avatar doesn’t just show up and play songs, the music is just part of the madness as they approach each show like a musical theater. Eckerstrom is the perfect ringleader as he directs the circus through every turn of the show. Despite the tremendous presence the singer has on stage, the other actors bring their own personalties that play off the vocalist. Guitarists Jonas Jarlsby and Tim Ohrstrom, bassist Henrik Sandelin and drummer John Alfredsson were fantastic pulling off the music and performing for the crowd. Avatar has so much interaction with the crowd that everybody feels part of the show.  I was really excited to hear the new stuff like “In The Airwaves,” “Death and Glitz” and old favorites like “Colossus” that hit like a sledgehammer. Just a like in theater, another act took hold of the stage as a grand piano was brought on stage. Johannes sat and played “Howling at the Waves” and then into “Tower.” The next act featured Jonas seated on a huge throne being rolled out on stage to  “Glory to our King” which led to “Legend of the King.” As the set wound down, one of the all-time favorites, “Let it Burn,” lit the place up. The pit was moving, fists were up and people were yelling every word. I absolutely loved “The Dirt I’m Buried In” and the anthem “Tonight We Must Be Warriors” closed things out before the encores. 

 

 

 

The encore left nothing to chance. The came back and starting swinging for the fences with “Dance Devil Dance,” “Smells Like a Freakshow” and the song that hooked me into the band “Hail the Apocalypse” and it was a perfect ending to a perfect night. There are very few bands with the theatrical ability to lock you into a show from a visual aspect and at the same time deliver the music at the highest level and put every  single person into the palm of their hand. That’s what Avatar did once again at the Fillmore and it was nothing short of spectacular.