Belle and Sebastian play fun and intimate show at MN Zoo

Belle and Sebastian’s last concert in the Twin Cities was one of my favorites of 2017. While that Palace Theatre show was high energy and highly danceable, the Scottish pop band took a more subdued approach to start things off at the Weesner Amphitheater at the Minnesota Zoo.

Singer, Stuart Murdoch, mentioned several times of how intimate this show felt. At one time he even commented that the audience was so close he could look into their eyes and read their thoughts. “Interesting things going on there,” he said. The vibes were great from the start on a beautiful summer night in the Twin Cities.

The show started off mellow until seven songs in when the band played “Sukie in the Graveyard” from the excellent 2006 release The Life Pursuit. Finally, some of the crowd stood from their bleacher seats and started moving. “The Fox in the Snow” from the band’s classic 1996 release If You’re Feeling Sinister was played next and it was captivating and beautiful. “Stay Loose” from Dear Catastrophe Waitress hit hard a few songs later, and was possibly the best song played all night.

Soon after, Belle and Sebastian did the inconceivable when they covered “Shook Me All Night Long” by AC/DC. It was the tipping point that kept the crowd dancing and the show only increased in joy from there. Stuart Murdoch invited the crowd to the small stage for “The Boy With the Arab Strap” and twenty or so danced along and it was hard not to smile.

It felt like the show was going to end early, but the band came back to the stage and rocked out five more songs for the encore. “Funny Little Frog” was a crowd request from earlier in the night and it was super fun. “I Want the World to Stop” was also beautiful, and the night ended with Murdoch on acoustic guitar and guitarist Stevie Jackson playing harmonica on the upbeat “Me and the Major” from If You’re Feeling Sinister. The entire crowd danced along and everything felt right in that moment.

Seeing Belle and Sebastian live is always a great time, and their show at the small and intimate Weesner Amphitheater at the Minnesota Zoo was no exception. It was a lovely summer night and I hope to see them again very soon.