Justin Bailey 
Sunday night brought a living-legend to Minneapolis, this time in the form of the elegant and graceful Phil Collins, for a stop on his ironically titled “Not Dead Yet” tour. Filling the Target Center to capacity, his two-hour long performance was the epitome of class, and instead of showing us a declining version of himself, concentrated on the abilities he still has, executing them almost expertly over his twenty-song set.
Phil made his grand entrance onto the stage with the aid of a cane and spent the bulk of the performance in a swivel chair, likely due to his recent surgeries on his back and foot, but certainly didn’t allow that to limit his showmanship. His ability to control a sold-out crowd certainly hasn’t suffered since his last performance in Minneapolis, which was a stop on Genesis’s 1992 World Tour.
The first hour of the performance was focused on quieter, slower-paced songs, including a couple Genesis-favorites as well as a jaw-dropping performance of “Separate Lives,” a duet he sang with backup singer Bridgette Bryant.
The performance picked up some speed about halfway through after his son, Nicholas Collins, and percussionist Richie Garcia, battled back and forth in a rhythmic duel, culminating with Phil Collins joining the two at center stage.
The highly-anticipated performance of “In The Air Tonight” certainly did not disappoint either. The only song of the night which featured Phil rising out of his seat and standing, a simple but powerful act which the audience certainly took note of, also featured his son Nicholas performing the infamous drum-fill, which he handled with ease.
“Now I’ll be sitting down this evening, I had back surgery and my foot’s fucked. It sucks getting old, really. But, we’re going to have some fun, right?” — Phil Collins
Instead of feeling diminished, Phil’s performance felt concentrated, focused, and fine-tuned. Even during upbeat performances of “You Can’t Hurry Love” and “Sussudio” which would typically feature tons of hip-swinging and gyrating from the energetic frontman, Phil was more than happy to let his voice be the backdrop for the audience dancing into the night.
While seeing Phil reduced to sitting center-stage in a swivel chair instead of behind the drums or one of the many other instruments he plays is going to take some getting used to, it’s clear that he still has plenty of music left in him.
This may end up being his last fling with the road, but don’t be surprised if, similar to Billy Joel, he sets up shop in Miami, New York, or L.A. for a residency in the near future.
Setlist:
- Against All Odds
- Another Day in Paradise
- I Missed Again
- Hang in Long Enough
- Throwing It All Away (Genesis)
- Follow You Follow Me (Genesis)
- Can’t Turn Back the Years
- Who Said I Would
- Separate Lives (Stephen Bishop Cover)
- You’ll Be In My Heart
- Drum Trio
- Something Happened on the Way to Heaven
- You Know What I Mean
- In The Air Tonight
- You Can’t Hurry Love (The Supremes Cover)
- Dance Into The Light
- Invisible Touch (Genesis)
- Easy Lover (Philip Bailey Cover)
- Sussudio
Encore:
- Take Me Home
