Kurt Vile and The Violators have been good to St. Paul

Kurt Vile returned to the Palace Theatre in St. Paul for the third time in twelve months, having last played the venue in August of 2025 while opening for Pixies. While the shows last year had Vile and his band in an opening role, his headlining performance in support of his 2026 release Philadelphia Has Been Good to Me allowed Vile to shine in one of the best performances I’ve seen him play in the last decade.

The night opened with “Chance to Bleed” from the new album and featured a guest appearance by local legend, Alan Sparhawk, of Low. The rocking tune was a great starter with Sparhawk grinding his guitar with his head and hair streaming down. One of the night’s biggest highlights came with a beautifully slow and meandering new take on “Girl Called Alex” from the classic 2013 album Wakin on a Pretty Daze. The reimagined arrangement stretched the song into something almost hypnotic, allowing every guitar phrase to breathe while Vile’s unmistakable drawl floated effortlessly over the band’s understated accompaniment. It was a reminder that some of his strongest songs only become richer as they evolve on stage.

Not every extended performance landed with the same impact. “Wakin on a Pretty Day” drifted a little too far into jammy territory, losing some of the focus that makes the studio version so great. But any momentum lost was immediately recovered during the encore, which opened with the inspired choice of “Bassackwards” from 2018’s Bottle It In. It sounded incredible and Vile was clearly enjoying himself.

The night ended on a more chill note than it started, with Vile playing two new songs that were dedicated to his daughters. “Avalanches of Snow” and “Every time I look at you” sounded nice and were a great way to send the crowd off into a beautiful Sunday night in downtown St. Paul. Kurt Vile & The Violators played an excellent show at the Palace Theatre.