Diamante “Blue Balls Holiday Tour” LIVE Photo & Concert Review!

Diamante has embarked on her first headline tour called “Blue Balls Holiday Tour” and the first stop was at the Piggy Bank Eatery & Music Hall in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Two local bands, Cold Kingdom and Caster Volor, opened the show.

Spinal Tap may have gone to eleven but the first band onto the stage, Caster Volor, went to twelve. I got of small clue of what was to come just by seeing their bus in the parking lot with their name decked out across it. The four-piece outfit went pedal to the metal from the opening note. They brought back the look and feel of the flamboyant eighties with a visual onslaught. The clothes, hair, staging, and props along with the classic poses and moves that fueled the glam movement to the top of radio and MTV charts all came together for a wild and entertaining set. This was my first trip into Caster Volor’s world but what a ride it was.

Cold Kingdom was forced to match that previous energy and as usual, came out firing on all cylinders. I’ve never seen a bad Cold Kingdom show and this one was further proof that they truly are a force. New vocalist Elissa Pearson has fit in perfectly and the bands newest album “Into The Black Sky” is great piece of modern rock and showcases the bands evolution of both songwriting and sound. They have developed a devoted following and you could feel that connection as they made their way through a short set. My favorite cut from the set was the crushing “Volatile” which brings all their musical elements into one pot. Its heavy riff and pulsating bass line hits hard while the chorus sucks you into its lethal charm. It was another great set from Cold Kingdom.

The headliner, Diamante, would take the stage to a roaring reaction from her devoted fans. I watched many of them take part in the meet and greet before the show and you could see how compassionate her fans were and also how appreciative Diamante was toward them. That connection was felt throughout her set. Opening with the song “Kind Of Love” and then “Bite Your Kiss” had her fans singing every lyric. Diamante utilized every ounce of the small stage to create a show that felt much bigger than the venue we were in. She was well polished on stage and vocally she delivered every note with conviction and enthusiasm. Diamante is riding on the wave of her album ‘Coming In Hot’ which was released in 2018 and when she played the single “Haunted” I could clearly tell that one was a fan favorite. Some of the standouts for me were “Bulletproof,” “Coming In Hot,” and the closer “War Cry.” Diamante put together a great set of music and between her vocals and the band keeping things tight, things sounded fantastic. Hopefully she can continue to grow as an artist and continue to gain traction in a difficult musical climate because she definitely has the talent to go far.