On Friday night, I took my thirteen-year-old daughter to Treasure Island Casino in Minnesota to see Apocalyptica, Lindsey Stirling, and Halestorm. I’ve attended many concerts over the years, but this one stood out because of the unique blend of the three acts. It wasn’t just another rock show—it was a night of surprises, variety, and memories I’ll hold onto, especially since I got to share it with one of my favorite people.
Apocalyptica opened with their cellos, and the sound was massive. I’ve always thought it was cool how they can make a classical instrument feel so heavy. They played all Metallica covers, including “Ride the Lightning,” “Master of Puppets,” and “Enter Sandman.”I was surprised that they covered “St Anger,” as that is not a popular era of Metallica’s history. I joked that Apocalyptica made it sound better than the original. They closed their set with “Nothing Else Matters” and “Seek and Destroy,” proving that you don’t need electric guitars to make something metal.
Then Lindsey Stirling came out and opened with “The Phoenix.” I’ve seen her before – over a decade ago, actually – and I was blown away by how much she’s grown as a performer and musician. Back then, she was fun to watch, but now she commands the stage with confidence. She played many new songs: “Monday Not Sick Anymore,” “Untamed,” and “Evil Twin;” many old songs: “Elements,” “Crystalize,” and “Roundtable Rival;” and several covers, such as “Sandstorm,” Toxic,” and “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.”
One fun thing Lindsey did toward the end of her set was bring out a wheel with the names of half a dozen songs on it. She said whatever song it chose was the one they would do next. It landed on “Til the Light Goes Out,” and we were treated to more dancing, spinning, and jumping- all while never missing a note on the violin. She closed her set with the best cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” I have ever heard. Lindsey Stirling is a fantastic storyteller, and it’s evident she loves what she does. Her joy spills over to everyone watching.
Halestorm opened their set with pure energy: “Fallen Star,” “I Miss the Misery,” and “Love Bites.” I’ve followed this band for many years, and they consistently deliver every single time. Lzzy Hale’s voice is unmatched—powerful and raw in a way that cuts straight through the noise. They played an incredible nine songs from their latest album, “Everest.”
Some of the highlights for me were when Lzzy came out to play the grand piano and stun us with “Break In” and a cover of Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” as well as Arjay Hale’s drum solo. He’s an underrated drummer and loves to engage the crowd with his oversized drumsticks. The band closed with “Freak Like Me,” “Everest,” and “I Gave You Everything.” That wasn’t enough for this Minnesota crowd. We demanded more!
After a few minutes, the band emerged, along with Lindsey Stirling, to perform “Shatter Me.” It was an incredible experience for everyone to hear live. They then concluded with “Here’s to Us.” By the end of the night, our throats were sore from singing, our ears were ringing, and we all had smiles on our faces. For me, in particular, sharing this with my daughter made it even better. These are the moments I hope she’ll look back on someday- the moments you can’t find anywhere else.
