Thursday night at U.S. Bank Stadium, AC/DC did what not too long ago seemed impossible. The Australian warhorses kicked off the North American leg of their Power Up Tour in front of a sold-out crowd of metalheads young and old (but mostly old).
Just weeks after we last saw the band in these parts, headlining Xcel Energy Center on Valentine’s Day 2016, lead singer Brian Johnson was forced to leave the tour after doctors told him he was at risk for total hearing loss due to a punctured ear drum. Axl Rose, of all people, stepped in to help AC/DC finish the tour, which seemed destined to be their final outing. In an interview at the time, Johnson himself suggested he was done with the band.
But, apparently, Johnson got his ear drum situation sorted and, in 2020, the band surprised fans with a new album, “Power Up.” Last summer, they played 17 cities across Europe. Minneapolis is the first of 13 North American dates, with the band returning to Europe in June.
Now 77, Johnson looked like he was having the time of his life Thursday, grinning wildly and shimmying around the stage like a drunken pensioner. His vocals have always been more about blunt force than technique and Johnson impressed with his still-powerful singing/screaming, even if he skipped some of the lyrics here and there. (The band took several quick between-song breaks during the show, presumably to give Johnson the chance to catch his breath.)
As usual, guitarist Angus Young existed in his own world and cranked out a steady stream of power chords and squealing solos, all while — at the age of 70 — dressed like a schoolboy. Young also stands as the only continuous member in the band’s 52-year history. His brother Malcolm retired in 2014 to receive treatment for dementia and died three years later. Drummer Phil Rudd sat out the tour to care for his partner, who is battling breast cancer. Bassist Cliff Williams has also retired from the road.
The replacements — rhythm guitarist Stevie Young, nephew of the Young brothers, bassist Chris Chaney and drummer Matt Laug — all fared well in creating a musical base for Young and Johnson to build on. Laug, in particular, proved particularly adept at keeping the rock and roll train barreling forward.
As for the set list, well, it was pretty much what you’d expect from AC/DC: “Back in Black,” “Thunderstruck,” “Highway to Hell,” “You Shook Me All Night Long” and so on. The pair of new songs they played fit in well, even if “Demon Fire” approaches Spinal Tap territory.
Despite the wrinkles and gray hair of the men playing them, AC/DC’s songs remain timeless slices of crude and rude rock custom made for blasting from the cars of stoned teenagers. It’s still a thrill to hear them performed live, even in the echo chamber that is U.S. Bank Stadium.
If this is the last we’ll see of AC/DC — and it very well could be — they went out with a bang for sure.
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