Billy Idol's Intimate Night at Palace Theater

Last updated on December 13th, 2021 at 01:55 pm

Billy Idol and Steve Stevens Acoustic Tour – Concert Review and Photos by Dylan Novacek

Billy Idol, alongside guitarist Steve Stevens, returned to the Twin Cities for an acoustic evening of classic rock at the Palace Theater. With a minimal stage setup and no opening act, all eyes were on Idol as he reminisced through his iconic discography.

Billy Idol Steve Stevens Twin Cities Palace Theater — Billy Idol at Palace Theater. Photography by Dylan Novacek.

Opening the night with fan favorite Dancing With Myself, Idol would pause after each song and tell stories. Many would consider Idol to be a rock and roll legend.

To hear his stories in this intimate setting truly felt like we were at a live taping of VH1 Storytellers.

Although I wasn’t raised on Idol’s music, I still have some memories associated with him. Growing up, my mom’s favorite comedy was The Wedding Singer, where Idol made an iconic appearance.

After seeing his performance, my older sister immediately asked if he played White Wedding like in the movie (he did as his closing song!)

For my dad, Billy Idol is the only singer he’s seen live in the last few years. He has constantly told me how great his shows are.

Although the glitz and high energy of a standard Billy Idol show were stripped back for this set, I was still thoroughly impressed.

At age 66, Idol hasn’t lost his step. Throughout his 12 song setlist, he sang with immense power and excellent stage presence.

His longtime guitarist Steve Stevens is also quite the performer too. He is probably one of the most talented guitar players I’ve seen live. His solo later in the set proved that.

The audience consisted of mostly older individuals. One person I talked to shared that they drove 3 hours to be at this show. It reminded me that not everyone gets to see a show every week. For me concerts are just part of my daily life.

Seeing his enthusiastic fans sing along and get on their feet brought a smile to my face. They were all so lucky to see such an intimate, once in a lifetime performance from Idol and Stevens.

I should also add: The Palace Theater happens to be my favorite venue in the Twin Cities. It was the perfect place for this style of show.

Overall, it was a laid back and deeply enjoyable night of live music. Although some of his stories weren’t very easy to follow or understand, it made the experience all the better because it was authentically Billy Idol.

I think the night can be best summed up by my sister’s reaction to my photos: