The Struts rock First Avenue with glitter and groupies

The Struts at First Avenue

With a New York Dolls look, the swagger of Mick Jagger, and a lot of groupies trying to find their way back stage — British rock band The Struts are keeping glam rock alive and well. Moving the show from The Entry was a smart move, as The Struts rocked the young and vivacious crowd that nearly filled First Avenue’s mainroom on Thursday, September 17.

Led by singer Luke Spiller who staggered upon the stage with glittery eye makeup and a glossy gaze, the youthful band from Derby, England quickly proved they had the chops to back up their presence. Their single “Could Have Been Me” from their debut lp Everybody Wants has seen heavy airplay of late on 89.3 The Current, and was played second in their just over hour long set. It sounded good, but didn’t match the rock that happened towards the end of the night.

Spiller apologetically pointed out very early on that his voice was shot. It was an awkward moment where the band members looked at each other and shrugged as if the show might end. Thankfully it went on. Although at times Spiller’s voice sounded abrasive, the band’s music drove the show into high gear and it was a whole lot of fun. I couldn’t help compare the sound to the Aussie rock band JET at times, especially on songs like “Kiss This“. “Put Your Money On Me” was a big highlight, but the best song played all night was “Dirty Sexy Money” at the end of the set. By this time Spiller’s voice had evened out some, and the song rocked much harder than the album version.

The Struts rocked First Avenue with a big guitar sound, and groove-driven anthemic sing-alongs. This band is buzzing in every sense of the word, and I am glad I got to see them on their first ever stop in Minneapolis. Glam rock is still alive and well with The Struts. Check this band out.

The Struts

Highly Suspect