Inside a Sold-Out Night With Nothing More at The Fillmore Minneapolis
March 3, 2026, The Fillmore, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Editor Note: Press Access & Thanks to our Sponsor
Knowing that a photo pass was never guaranteed, Ben bought his ticket well ahead of time to make sure this show could still be covered no matter how things played out. When press access ultimately did not come through, that preparation meant we were still in the building, even if the cost of covering the night rose quite a bit. Huge thanks to our sponsor, Kela Geyer, for helping lighten that load.
A Familiar Venue, A Packed Night
The Fillmore Minneapolis is a venue I’ve returned to more times than I can easily count. Over the years its stage has hosted many of my favorite live music memories, including a previous meet-and-greet with the evening’s headliner, Nothing More.
On this night, however, the visit came with a small personal question. Could I survive two nights of pit-heavy concerts back to back? After the previous evening’s show with Bad Omens, my aging bones weren’t entirely convinced.
The night began in a familiar ritual, waiting in line outside the venue. A pleasant surprise came in the form of a familiar face from the previous night’s concert. Long venue lines can feel endless, but conversation has a way of shrinking the clock. For those of us who don’t naturally thrive on striking up conversations with strangers, a shared musical experience offers an easy bridge.
The Pre-Show Ritual
When the doors finally opened, the crowd funneled into the venue with the familiar urgency of fans chasing a good spot near the stage.
One feature I’ve always appreciated about The Fillmore is its use of the pre-show lull. A massive projector cycles through advertisements for upcoming concerts across the venue’s network, building anticipation for future shows while the current audience waits for the night to begin. It gives the room a low hum of anticipation instead of dead space, keeping the crowd engaged before the first note ever hits.
Doobie Opens the Night
The evening’s first set came from Doobie, a relatively new name in the rock scene. Opening with “Hate Song” and “Beauty in the Boogeyman”, Doobie delivered a set full of energy.
There was one awkward moment early on. A request for crowd surfers during the opening songs of the first act in a four-band lineup was met with silence. It was a bold ask that didn’t quite land. Still, the performance carried enough intensity to leave the crowd warmed up for what was coming next.
Archers Ignite the Crowd
Next up was Archers, a group that has been active since 2015. Initially, I assumed I was unfamiliar with their material. That assumption didn’t last long.
When the band launched into “The Dirt”, followed by “Never Enough”, recognition hit almost immediately and judging by the reaction around me, I wasn’t the only one caught off guard by how well-known the songs were. The crowd erupted into mosh pits, and this time a request for crowd surfers was quickly answered.
Archers delivered a performance that felt both tight and explosive. Their set was polished without feeling sterile, and the low end hit hard enough to move through the room without turning muddy. More importantly, the crowd physically shifted during their time onstage. What had been an attentive floor became an active one. People stopped just watching and started throwing themselves into the set.
The set concluded with an unexpected flourish when the lead singer folded a setlist into a paper airplane and launched it into the crowd. A playful moment that capped off an impressive showing.
Catch Your Breath Warms Up the Headliner
The third act of the night, Catch Your Breath, took the stage just before the headliners. This was a set I had been particularly anticipating, especially hoping to hear “Dial Tone” and “DARK!”.
Both songs made the setlist, but the performance left me somewhat conflicted. Many of the choruses relied heavily on backing recordings, and frequent requests for the audience to sing along occasionally interrupted the flow.
Perhaps my expectations in hoping for something closer to a studio-precise performance played a role in my reaction. Even so, the band still energized the crowd and provided a strong lead-in to the night’s main event. The songs landed, the audience was with them, and the set did its job, even if it didn’t hit with the precision I had hoped for.
Nothing More Takes the Stage
Then came Nothing More.
Since hearing the band’s self-titled album years ago, I’ve followed their music closely. Their catalog has only grown stronger, with The Stories We Tell Ourselves remaining a personal favorite, alongside later releases like SPIRITS and CARNAL not pulling any punches either.
Frontman Jonny Hawkins continues to stand out as one of the most dynamic vocalists in modern rock, and the band’s live performance once again proved why they’ve built such a devoted following. What separates Nothing More from a lot of their peers is not just intensity, but structure. Their sets are built with real momentum. They know how to sequence impact, how to let a song breathe without losing the room, and how to make an emotional turn feel like part of the set’s architecture instead of a pause in the action.
Hawkins was especially strong here and throughout the night. In the higher register, his voice still cut cleanly through the mix, carrying force without sounding fragile. Behind him, the band kept the sound muscular and clear. The bass and kick had enough weight to hit physically, but the set never collapsed into noise.
The setlist moved through highlights from across the band’s discography, but the emotional centerpiece of the night came from “Fade In / Fade Out”, a track that still resonates deeply from The Stories We Tell Ourselves.
Another standout moment arrived when Nathanael Pulley, lead singer of Archers, returned to the stage to fill in for Chris Daughtry during “FREEFALL”.
A Surprise Announcement and a Memorable Finale
Unlike many touring acts, Nothing More skips the theatrics of a fake encore. Instead, they play straight through to the finish. Before the final song, Hawkins paused to deliver an announcement that electrified the room. The next time the band returns to town, it will be with a new album.
The crowd somehow found another level of volume.
For the closing moment, the band stepped off the stage and performed the final song from the barricade, with fans physically helping hold their instruments in place. It was a chaotic, intimate ending that perfectly matched the energy of the evening. By that point, the line between band and audience had nearly disappeared.
Afterglow
Twelve minutes later, after a brisk, painful walk, I was back to my hotel, voice gone and legs jello after two nights of pit-heavy concerts.
But the fatigue came with a sense of gratitude. Sold-out shows like this are more than just performances. They’re shared experiences. And as the adrenaline finally wore off, one thought remained.
When will the next opportunity to do it all again arrive?