Review: FINDING FAMILY ON THE ROAD TOUR 2026 - ALEX WARREN at Grand Casino Arena

Alex Warren has built his career on writing songs that don't hide from difficult emotions, and that honesty was on full display Thursday night at Grand Casino Arena. His Finding Family on the Road Tour stop in Saint Paul wasn't about elaborate stage production or flashy effects. Instead, it was about the music and the connection he has with the people who come to hear it.

Noah Cyrus opened the evening with a set that fit the mood perfectly. Her performance of "Troubled Waters" was understated but powerful, giving the crowd a chance to settle in before Warren took over. She didn't need much more than her voice to hold the audience's attention, and by the end of her set, she'd won over plenty of people who may not have arrived as fans.

The atmosphere changed the moment the lights went down for Warren. He came out to a roar from the crowd and wasted no time launching into "Bloodline." Fans standing near the stage were singing every lyric from the opening verse, and that energy carried straight into "The Outside" and "First Time on Earth."

One thing that stood out throughout the night was how comfortable Warren looked onstage. He joked with the audience, laughed when fans shouted comments between songs, and took time to thank everyone for supporting him. Nothing about it felt forced. It felt like someone genuinely enjoying the moment.

That relaxed approach made songs like "Before You Leave Me" and "You'll Be Alright, Kid" hit even harder. During "You'll Be Alright, Kid," the arena glowed with phone lights while thousands of voices took over the chorus. Warren stepped back from the microphone more than once, smiling as the crowd carried the song for him.

The middle of the show leaned into the more reflective side of his catalog. "Passenger," "Never Be Far," and "Eternity" slowed things down, while "Catch My Breath" and "Same Stars" reminded everyone just how much his songwriting has matured over the past few years. Warren never overperformed these songs. He trusted the lyrics to do the work, and they did.

One of the strongest performances of the night came with "Heaven Without You." The arena became noticeably quieter, with fans hanging on every word before responding with one of the loudest ovations of the evening.

The mood shifted again as "Fine Place To Die," "Getaway Car," and "You Can't Stop This" brought the energy back up. The crowd needed very little encouragement to get moving, and Warren fed off that excitement, crossing the stage constantly and interacting with every section of the arena.

As the night drew to a close, "Carry You Home" and "Save You a Seat" brought things back to the themes that have become central to Warren's music—love, loss, and the importance of the people who stay with us through life's hardest moments.

The final stretch was exactly what fans had been waiting for. "Burning Down" had the entire arena on its feet, "FEVER DREAM" kept that momentum going, and "Ordinary" closed the night with one last massive singalong. By the final chorus, it was almost impossible to tell where Warren's voice ended and the audience's began.

Alex Warren has reached the point where his concerts feel less like performances and more like shared experiences. His songs clearly mean something to the people who come to see him, and that was evident all night in Saint Paul. Fans arrived ready to sing every word, and they left having done exactly that. Sometimes that's all a great concert needs.

Photo by Carly Danek

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