THE LADY IN RED TOUR
Concert Review
Article and Photography by: Brieghanna Chase
It was a beautifully sunny and warm day in downtown Minneapolis on May 2nd when VANA and her opening acts rolled into town to play at Fine Line for her first headline tour, “The Lady in Red Tour”. Joining her on this exciting adventure were bands Redhook, Deadlands, and artist Chandler Leighton, all of whom brought along their own bunch of fans. The crowd was in high spirits as they lined up along the sidewalk, waiting for the doors to open, basking in the long-missed spring weather, many eagerly awaiting their moment to meet VANA herself during the VIP meet-and-greet.
It wasn't long before the doors opened to general admission fans, and they began filling the venue, which has been a staple in the local music community since 1987. The small six hundred and fifty capacity venue was dimly lit, but the large windows lining the street filtered in light, creating a cozy, intimate vibe.
The single door led you into the main area, with a long bar stretching along the left side of the venue, quickly filling with patrons, while the merchandise tables for the bands lined the right side of the foyer. Lines had already begun forming at the tables, most notably at VANAs merchandise. The main room was becoming more and more crowded as the minutes passed; fans pressed up against the stage in this no-barricade show, eager to be as close to the artists as they could. Above the swirling chaos of the floor was the mezzanine, lined with tables for guests who prefer to avoid the swell of thrashing bodies sure to erupt below during the night. The buzzing of the crowd momentarily dulled as the lights dimmed, signaling the start of the night's festivities.
The quiet quickly ended as the energetic Australian-based band Redhook took their place on stage. Opening with a song from their most recent album, Mutation, released in 2024, Bomb.com was not only the track name, but the perfect description of this band's performance this night. Vocalist Emmy Mack not only delivered an incredibly strong and captivating performance, with songs like “Psych vs Psych” where she emerged in a straitjacket, but also an incredibly emotional one. In a moment of vulnerability, she not only allows herself to be seen, but also every person in the crowd who has ever been a victim of sexual assault. Her song Jabberwocky explores the difficult healing and lasting trauma survivors and those still experiencing sexual assault battle with daily. It was a song not only for her, but also for every man and woman in the world who can commiserate with the lyrics and emotions behind the song. The intensity of the subject landed hard and could be felt throughout the venue, the air thick with emotions, but also a moment of relief as those who had not been before finally felt seen. It was a beautiful moment, that though heavy, did not stop the energy this band delivered. Drummer Alex Powys quickly brought the crowd back to the current reality, delivering a perfectly executed drum solo. Ending with an absolute banger, their 2021 single “Bad Decisions” each member, including bassist Ned Jankovic and guitarist Craig Wilkinson, delivered a full energy performance, leaving a lasting impression on the city of Minneapolis. This may have been this band's first journey to the United States, but after this tour, the demand for Redhook will no doubt bring them back before they know it.
Bringing in a crowd of their own, Deadlands took the stage next. This New York based post hardcore band brings feminine rage to the stage as vocalist and founding member Kasey Karelson dominates with her harsh screams and captivating cleans. Preforming a live version of their 2025 EP “Seven.”, Deadlands had the crowd rocking out and singing loud. Guitarist CJ Arey were joined by drummer Andrew Gaudio and stepping out of his role as guitarist for VANA, Niles Gregory joining the band as bassist for this tour. Any person luckily enough to score a spot near the stage was able to enjoy some very exciting and frequent interactions from the members, bringing a very intimate and personal feel to the otherwise heavy and hard performance. While embodying the divine feminine, Kasey delivers some hard truths about toxic relationships, and todays self indulgent society. Putting in the work, Karelson and AREY have made a name for theirselves in this scene, and while they may be knocking down others house of cards, they one they are building is sure to stand strong for the future.
After receiving a last min call to join the roster, midwest native singer and songwriter Chandler Leighton pulled out the stops to deliver a thrilling, captivating, and heated performance. Fans were in for quite the surprise when Leighton preformed a collection of singles, most of which have yet to be released. Opening her set with not one, not two, but three new releases, “F Off,” “Poison,” and “Wasted Potential” (realeased May 8th, 2026). Joined by bassist Aubrey Harris, the two women put on a show that had every person prespiring. The intense chemistry between the two girls drew you in and had you hooked. The moment of irony experienced during her performance of her new song “Wasted Potential”, a song about imposter syndrome and singing to empty room as she belted her heart out to a full venue of fans who were hooked from the moment she walked out onto the stage. Closing her set she sang the beautiful and emotional song, “Waiting For You To Heal”, throughout the dark room phones lit up the space like stars lighting up a lonely night, a chilling and breathtaking way for her end her performance.
Finally the moment everyone had been waiting for, the pinnacle of excitement finally arriving as it was time for VANA to take the stage. Lights dimmed as the speakers rumbled, signaling the crowd to begin cheering, the sound filling the room as drummer Mathieaux Davis took his seat behind his drums. Soon to follow, guitarist Niles Gregory and bassist Harlan Jones, took the stage, clad in all black, wearing they iconic lace masks with the red insignia stitched into them. Last to emerge from the darkness was the red headed siren, VANA, and the crowd lost it as she began singing the opening lines to her hit 2025 single “Pray.”
This California-born, New Zealand-based artist began making her way into the scene in 2022 with her single “BLACK SHEEP”, and from that point on, she made a name for herself in the unique subgenre of “pretty girl metal” or “kink metal.” It’s her unique sound and haunting visual aesthetic that make her so successful and loved within her fan base. But it is not only her music that captures the heart of her fans, but it is also the contradictory personality that her dominant and serious stage persona displayed while performing. While between songs, she engages with her fans in amusingly goofy ways. This night in particular, the crowd was very boisterous and eagerly participatory, and it allowed VANA to chant to the crowd the iconic “Who lived in a pineapple under the sea”, and the crowd happily responded with “SpongeBob SquarePants.” She also had fun with her fans by having them repeat different animal sounds to her, such as meows and a variety of dog barks, which amused both her, her bandmates, and those in attendance.
Throughout the show, VANA played crowd favorites such as “NOXIOUS”, “PLEASER”, “SERPINTINE”, “BITE BACK”, and “DIE FOR ME!” She also played her newest single, released just last month in April, “In Your Name”. If the crowd though her antics were over at any point, they were wrong, because it would not be a VANA show without a card pack opening. She held in her hand two packs of Magic the Gathering cards, tossing one pack into the crowd with the promise of whoever caught the pack could join her onstage to open the packs together. Much to her surprise, the person who caught the cards chose to not join her, but instead gave the pack to one of the youngest fans in attendance, which there was no doubt that it made the kids night. It was sad to see the night end after she finished her set, thanking the crowd for attending before exiting the stage, but the crowd was not ready to say good bye. In true fashion of most every show, the crowd began to chant “One more song! One more song!” but this time, with a Midwestern, Minnesotan twist… “One more song, PLEASE?”.
Now, was it her plan all along, or what is the impossible to ignore Midwest manners that brought her back to the stage? I guess we will never truly know, but regardless, she came to give not one, but two more songs to her yearning crowd. Ending the banger of a show with two very popular hits, “BEG!” and “Clandestine.” If this show was any indicator of how the rest of her first headlining tour was doing, then I would have to say that she is having one hell of a successful run, and I can’t wait to see what the exciting future holds for her, or the other three badass women vocalists touring the great United States with her.
