Here is the Minneapolis Official Road Reporter review from Josh's Straight To You Tour by brittanynoelle! Want to enter to win for a chance to be Josh's Official Road Reporter? Get all the contest details HERE.

The Target Center in Minneapolis was a buzz on Friday night when Josh Groban took the stage. In his third performance in the Twin Cities he reminded many fans of just what greatness looks like. This was a highly emotion concert for many people I believe, for some it was a time of discovery of the power of his music, for other a re-ignition of the joy that comes from being a tried and true Grobanite, and for Josh it was a joyous return to the city which sparked inspiration for 6 of the 13 songs on “Illuminations.”

Anyone that was in downtown Minneapolis on Friday night got a glimpse of the feeling of anticipation that was hanging in the air. In a city that prides itself on boasting rich-history of musical genius, it was something to see. As my Mom, my baby sister and I joined the hundreds upon hundreds of people pouring into the Target Center I was struck by unity that a Josh Groban concert provides.

Remarkably this was my first Josh Groan concert, even though I have been following him for almost nine years. In the past, every time Josh has been even remotely near Minneapolis I have been out of the area. But what a concert it was. My little sister and I got to meet Josh beforehand. As we were waiting in the concrete corridor backstage we were downright giddy, isn’t it crazy how spending time with your younger sibling turns you into a silly little girl? ☺ We ended up giggling the entire wait, amusing the middle-aged couples on either side of us. In fact the giddy feeling carried over to the moments where I handed Darren, Josh’s head of security, my camera. As we waited he joked with us and then took a few spontaneous freehanded pictures of and my sister (see below for a fine example of Darren’s amateur photography skill). Finally we got to meet Josh and in the 30 seconds following he and my sister, and I swapped compliments on attire (his shoes, her tank-top) and some delightful banter. It was everything that as a fan you dream about when meeting a music idol.

And as perfect as that moment was, there was still an incredible concert to follow. A mere minutes after the incredible ELEW left the stage at the end of a piano performance in which he did things to a piano that, as Josh put it, “I didn’t know were legal but I’m glad they are,” security began to swarm the rear entrance to the arena. As the men and women in black descended, at the mixing board faint echoes of “one minute to black” could be heard. The lights cut out, the mood in the area changed, then the tension broke and from the back Josh raced out to greet us. As he settled on the rear stage for an opening with the anthemic “Straight To You” it was a moment of pure bliss.

What followed was a two-hour tribute to everything we love about Josh. It wasn’t the typical concert experience in which the artist ties a laundry list of songs with “area appropriate banter.” There were no painfully obvious moments “name-drops” of famous sites in the city or region specific jokes that are reciprocated with half-hearted applause. Instead Josh was his usual quick-witted, sharp-tongued, charming self. When he mentioned the dangerous food, drink and surprising sandal selection to be found in our great city, we knew that it was because he genuinely enjoyed experiencing each during his time writing here. It was the littlest details that made his fondness for this town evident. For example in his comments to the Star Tribune, he mentioned how he and co-writer on “Illuminations” eating a Common Roots Café off of Lyndale in Minneapolis or drinking Jameson whiskey at The Local, while rubbing shoulders with Twins MLB players.

He joked about how we employ “Minnesota nice” in every setting. In fact, after plopping down in an empty seat on the main floor and joking around with an adorable shoeless 10 year-old, he remarked how in Minnesota he can get right up in our faces and we simply stick out our hands, smile and say “Nice to meet you.” A comment that later was proved less the 100% accurate by an slightly over amorous fan who wouldn’t stop hugging Josh until Darren gently pried her off (we all can understand her feelings though right?), leaving Josh feeling “both jubilated and violated.”

His set-list for the night boast a few classic gems from his self-titled debut album, which Josh joked he put out when he was 9, including a personal favorite “Alejate,” which by Josh’s loose translation takes a song from “Just Walk Away” to “Get the Hell out of Here.” Also included was the upbeat anthem “Machine” in which the incredible 13-piece band directed by Tariq, really shined. More over there were bright stars off the current album including “Higher Window” “Bells of New York City” “If I Walk Away” and a revamp of Awake’s “You are Loved.” There was a touching moment of patriotism displayed in “War at Home,” a poetic ballad that about the continued fight our service men and women face once stateside.

Amongst the innumerable gems of songs Josh filled the time with amusing banter and delightful sagas. During a short text-message based Q & A session with the 7,000 member audience we discovered that if Josh could have one useless superpower it just might be the ability to hug all of his fans at once (aww!!!). It was during this little anecdote that the aforementioned hug situation resulted. Also the Q & A session yielded the opportunity for Matt, a young singer from Kansas who road-tripped to Minneapolis with his two sisters, to sing a duet with Josh. In determining a song Josh stated that Matt could choose any of “my stuff [Josh’s music] or anything from Pearl Jam.” In the end Josh and Matt ended singing a portion of “Remember When it Rained” Josh on the upright piano on the small rear stage and Matt singing by his side. As far as spontaneous duets go, I would say it was an overall success, which eventually prompted Josh to breakout a warbled country version rendition of Matt’s slight twang in the duet. Perhaps Josh’s second career could very well be in centered in Nashville, TN. (Anyone else remember his duet with Lady Antebellum??? ☺)

As a close to the night Josh repeated a cherished part of his small pre-tour shows by bringing up a couple who had been married for 35 years, the shoeless 10 year-old, and a 15 year-old “Single Lady” all to the perfect falsetto of Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies.” Whist seated on blow-up plastic couches, Josh served the couple wine and the girls milk. But, only after checking with the two girls to make sure they we not lactose-intolerant because, according to Josh, “that would sound awful on these couches.” Once all of his guests were comfortably seated with beverages and feeling “romantic,” he shared that he was about to serenade them with a song about cheating, albeit a romantic song about cheating. “Broken Vow,” followed by “Per Te” was a perfect way to close out the night. It was a great operatic swell of emotion and big-band accompaniment, which moved everyone. A touching encore cover of “Play Me” by Neil Diamond danced right on the line of “romantic, poetic, and cheesy,” the perfect way to end a fantastic evening with Josh Groban.