Halestorm Thunders Down On The Treasure Island Amphitheater in Welch, Minnesota

Halestorm is ripping through North America in support of the new album ‘Everest.’ The quartet played at the Treasure Island Amphitheater in Welch, Minnesota on a beautiful September night and played a nineteen song set that had the crowd on their feet and singing the entire night.

 

 

The hard rocking band Halestorm blew into Teasure Island Casino & Resort in Welch, Minnesota like a mid-summer thunderstorm. Laced with loud guitars, big vocals and infectious tunes, the crowd was treated to a good old fashioned rock-n-roll show. Halestorm are currently on the road in support of the new album ‘Everest.’ It dropped on August 8, 2025 and it is the sixth studio album by the band. The tour is titled “The Neverest Duality Tour” and features Lindsey Stirling and Apocalyptica as supporting act. Due to the early start time I was not able to see the first two acts. 

 

 

When the curtain dropped Halestorm launched into “Fallen Star.” The hard hitting track rumbled through the outdoor amphitheater to the delight of the crowd. They followed that up with “I Miss The Misery” and my personal favorite song from the band “Love Bites (So Do I).” The unmistakable heaviness of that song consumed everybody within earshot of it and the crowd was fully invested with headbanging and throwing the metal horns in the air. I love the intensity of the song and the how Halestorm attacks that song live with so much aggression. 

 

 

 

 

If you are somewhat new to the band or haven’t had the pleasure of seeing Halestorm live before, it does not take long to understand how good this band is live. Vocalist and guitarist Lzzy Hale features one of the premier voices in rock music today. She is a complete powerhouse and her vocals sliced through the nighttime air with lethal precision. She absolutely made her mark when she sang the Ozzy Osbourne classic “The Ultimate Sin” at the “Back to the Beginning” benefit concert last July. Anybody that didn’t know who she was when she stepped onto the that stage was quickly looking her up after that performance. Along with Lzzy, on drums Halestorm features her brother, Arejay Hale, bassist Josh Smith and guitarist Joe Hottinger. This quartet has been sharing the stage together since 2004 and they are extremely tight. Everything click together in perfect time and music comes across so crisp and clean. It’s one thing to produce music in the studio but, for me, the true art is what a band brings to stage and if can you perform your material at a high level while also entertaining the crowd. Halestorm has perfected this over time with countless tours and shows 

 

 

The setlist for this show was very heavy on the new material from ‘Everest.’ A total of nine songs were played from the album in a set that featured nineteen songs. “Darkness Always Wins,” “Gather the Lambs” and the intense “WATCH OUT!”were some of my favorites from the new material played. A cool moment was Lzzy on the piano for “Break Out” and the Whitney Houston cover of “I Will Always Love You.” I know most drum solos seem like a waste of concert time but Arejay Hale makes the time fun and memorable with his oversized sticks. Like his sister, he too, is a very good entertainer and is its fun to watch him on the kit. 

 

 

The fan favorite “Freak Like Me” was amazing. It’s a true classic in the catalog and the crowd really responded to it. The last two songs “Everest” and “I Gave You Everything” closed out the set but fans wanted more and they got more.  They returned to play the Lindsey Stirling song “Shatter Me” and to make it every more of a special moment, Lindsey Stirling joined the band on stage to play it. They closed the show off with the song that got the entire amphitheater on their feet and singing, “Here’s to Us.” It is a song that just seems to bring every together in a moment of time, a musical connection that has no definable explanation. It is feeling that is provided by the power of music and people feel it in their soul. A perfect way to close an unforgettable night of music.