Starset are on the road supporting their new album ‘Divisions.’ The shows are dubbed “Demonstrations” and the tour began mid-September and runs through October. The sold out Varsity Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota was also treated to Palisades, Hyde, and A Brilliant Lie, which made for a great night of music.

A Brilliant Lie kicked the night off earlier than the posted time listed. I just managed to grab a couple photos and caught a great cover of Toto’s “Africa.” Lead vocalist Tara Lightfoot was extremely energetic as she moved all over the stage and engaged the crowd. The band hails from Orlando, Florida and released ‘Threads: Weaver” earlier this year. It’s a great dose of alt rock laced with hooks and soaring melodies. The closing line said by Lightfoot summed up how fun their show was. She announced, “We are A Brilliant Lie. If you did not like us, we are Nickelback.”

Hyde (Hideto Takarai) brought his group to the stage next. He is the vocalist behind two of Japans most popular bands, L’Arc-en-Ciel and Vamps, and has brought his solo project, simply called Hyde, to the United States on a couple of occasions. I saw them earlier this year with In This Moment on a much larger stage but Hyde brought that same energy to the smaller Varsity Theater venue. He released the album ‘Anti’ earlier this year and opened with “Who’s Gonna Save Us.” There was no questioning the faithful following he has as fans made themselves heard throughout his set. Dressed in a black coat and a mask that covered part of his face, his eyes glowed chillingly in the darkness of the stage.His mystique further amplified by his band all wearing masks that that lit up. The band cruised through “After Light,” “Another Moment,” and “Sick” which Hyde used a megaphone to further amp up the intensity. Urging the fans to take out their cell phones and wave them over their heads, they closed with “Ordinary World.”

Palisades took the stage with the song “War” and then into “Shed My Skin.” Both songs came off the 2018 released “Erase The Pain.” The immediate shock came as vocalist Lou Miceli Jr. was not with the band. I later read that he was sitting out this run of shows due to an ongoing health problem related to his voice. The lead vocal duties fell onto bassist Brandon Elgar. They also hit on the self-titled album from 2017 with the crushing “Through Hell” which was one of my highlights of the set. The song “Ways To Disappear” was dedicated to anyone dealing with anxiety like Elgar does. Guitarists Matt Marshall and Xavier Adames were in perfect sync and drummer Aaron Rosa was a beast behind the kit. Asking if there were any Linkin Park fans in the crowed, they covered “One Step Closer” which had everyone in the theater moving. The set ended with “Let Down” and then“Erase The Pain.” A good set and Elgar did a great job of filling in for Miceli Jr. on lead vocals.