The War on Drugs bring “An Evening of Live Drugs” to Palace Theatre

Philadephia’s finest indie-rock band The War on Drugs returned to St. Paul, MN for the first time since 2017 and played a smooth show to a three-quarters full Palace Theatre. On tour to push their 2021 release I Don’t Live Here Anymore, the band rocked for well over two hours much to the crowd’s delight. The fog machine was on high early on creating an atmospheric haze with the stage lit in monotones of blue, red, and orange. This had a trance-like effect where singer and guitarist Adam Granduciel’s pure guitar tone pierced through, along with an onslaught of heavenly keyboard sounds.

The band started with “Old Skin” from I Don’t Live Here Anymore. “An Ocean in Between the Waves” from the band’s 2014 masterpiece Lost in the Dream was played three songs in and was an early highlight. Another beautiful highlight was “Strangest Thing” from The War on Drugs’ 2017 album A Deeper Understanding. It flowed nicely into a drawn-out version of “Harmonia’s Dream” from I Don’t Live Here Anymore. “Red Eyes” was upbeat and absolutely rocked.

Before the band broke into the Bob Seger cover “Against the Wind”, Granduciel announced to a large applause that it was his birthday. A few songs later the band played a slow burning extended version of “Living Proof” and it was easily one of the best songs of the night instilling a mesmerizing trance on the crowd. “Disappearing” went straight into their hit single “Under the Pressure” where saxophonist Jon Natchez took the lead across the bridge while balloons dropped from above the stage and it was a great time.

The night ended with the I Don’t Live Here Anymore track “Occasional Rain”. It was an anticlimactic finish to an otherwise exceptional performance by The War on Drugs at the Palace Theatre. Adam Granduciel is an incredible songwriter and his guitar tones are otherworldly. The Palace Theatre was the perfect venue for “An Evening of Live Drugs” and I am glad I was there to witness night one of two in person.

Photographers only had front of house access