Justin Nuoffer
CONCERT REVIEW + PHOTOS
ZZ WARD w/ Liam St. John
3/28/25 – The Majestic Theater – Madison, WI
©Justin Nuoffer/NuofferMedia.com
Few things are as fun as a Friday evening in Madison, WI. With the weather starting to become nicer, the streets get busier, and people are coming out of their winter slumbers. On King Street, the Majestic Theater is nestled in the middle of the block. Looking up toward the marquee, it read “ZZ Ward”. The blues maven takes over the intimate venue with plenty of fanfare. A line out front runs up the street. Looming large in the background stands the state capital, whose beauty only adds to the appeal of this night to come.
As the doors open, the line moves quickly through the glass doors and into the front hallway, which is posed as the security and ticket checkpoints. Heading left down the walkway leads upstairs to the balcony seating area and opera booths, or you can walk straight ahead into the main room. Straight ahead is a three-tier setup that leads down to the GA floor, and on the right-hand side is a small area for tour merchandise. The stage stands three feet off the ground. Physically, the hardwood is worn, stained, and scraped up. It shows quite a history. The Majestic opened as a vaudeville theater and carries a history of timeless performances and musicals. Knowing this information, ZZ Ward’s “The Dirty Sun Tour” was the perfect selection.
Opening the evening was Liam St.John, a country blue artist who appeared on The Voice in 2020. He and his two bandmates had a simplistic set-up on stage. St.John stood center stage with his guitar strapped loosely around his upper body. To his left, his bassist is on a stand-up bass, and to his right, his guitarist is performing with an assortment of electrified guitars.
His sound was a smooth mixture of Country and Blues. It felt like something you would find in a back-alley bar in Nashville. For as stripped down as it was, it left the ears full. Whether the musical content was known or not, the folks at the lower level danced and swayed. The short thirty-minute set flew right on by.
St. John was quite the showman. He flung his guitar around and occasionally shared shoulders while performing with his bandmates. Post set, he ran around the venue, meeting fans and watching ZZ Ward perform. His simplistic and everyday man approach is something one doesn’t see too often.
Check out our concert photos of Liam St. John below:
The stage lights flashed through various colors as ZZ Ward’s band took their places. As they started into the first of two covers, Ward walked out onto the stage in her signature fedora and gave a nice wave to the entire venue. With a smile strewn across her face, she stood dead center by herself and her band towards the back of the stage. Moving around the microphone stand, she unloads her unique sound with ease.
The setlist for the evening consisted of twenty-two tracks. A handful were covers of songs such as “Sinners Prayer” by Ray Charles and “Cadillac Man” by The Jesters. Each one, though, was from her brand-new release, Liberation. The album is the main focal point of the tour. Six of the first eight tracks are off of it, including the fresh new single, “Mother”.
Often, Ward takes the time in between songs to talk to the crowd and earnestly speak about the meanings behind songs and even real-life moments. Her maturity on stage shines, and the human side of her personality resonates when she speaks about her experiences with motherhood. It was a topic that the mostly female crowd agreed about, whether it was by head nods or commentary amongst friends.
Mid-set, an acoustic version of “Bag of Bones” was an incredible bridge between the front and back halves of the set. The power behind Ward’s vocals hits the soul. The deep warmth and twang of her voice allowed every single word to be enunciated clearly. When the first chords of the memorable track “Sex & Stardust” from 9-1-1 Lonestar TV series hit, the audience knew it instantly. The fedora-packed tiered floors bounced around and swayed to every note.
Ward spoke about writing a song for a soundtrack, which was rejected. She also brought up how she eventually wrote one that was perfect for the soundtrack, which came from a simple humming melody while being a passenger in a car during a trip with her family. That song became “Ride” for the movie Cars 3. Armed with a catchy chorus and repetitive lyrics, it was a fantastic addition to the set. The guitar solo, though, re-charged the venue’s batteries and revved up the energy, and just in time to enjoy perhaps the most notable release she has had from her first album, “Put The Gun Down”. With a delta blues feel that pulls at the heartstrings. It’s an emotional track and was easy to sense the pain and anger. After all, isn’t that the point of the blues and rock? To have it touch your sensibilities?
With the lights in purple and gold, the vibes floating in the Majestic Theater were off the charts. The idea of a blues-rock artist performing in a small room with a homely aura is perfectly nailed. Ward brought the house down with the encore. She explained, humorously, that “Naked in the Jungle” is quite literally about going for a stroll naked in the woods. Laughter was welcomed.
Closing out a fabulous evening were two songs off of Till The Casket Drops. Both are non-single tracks, but are firmly placed within every show she puts on – “Criminal” and “Move It Like You Stole It”. The voices singing along carried around the room and bounced off the balcony walls.
Positivity and happiness were displayed by ZZ Ward while singing, however, because once she gave her thanks to the crowd, she reached down in front of her microphone and met a family that was bouncing and singing along for the entire show. Their daughter in a tan fedora, looked awestruck as she talked to them. It was a cute moment to take in. Then the lights began to lift, the chatter grew, and the band left the stage.
Check out our concert photos of ZZ Ward below:
Heading toward the exit, the merchandise stand was once again full of people, and the bar was busy closing tabs for the night. The mood was cheerful, and the chatter was overly positive. One couldn’t have asked for a better evening. St. John and ZZ Ward were fantastic. Their brands of blues warmed the heart and filled the soul. Both are high-end performers who have perfected their crafts. Easily, one could say that nights like these do not come around often. Ward is no stranger to performing in Madison, and what we witnessed should be considered an honor that she continues to return. Hitting the busy Madison streets after such a humbled and honest performance, it felt good to just let the night lead you wherever it went.
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