Review: Hauser - The Rebel is Back Tour

I have been listening to music from Hauser for a few years, so I was excited to hear that he would be touring the United States with a stop in San Jose. I purchased tickets for the 8:00 pm show at the San Jose Civic on June 1, 2025.

Here is a short video clip from the concert of Stjepan Hauser and Caroline Campbell performing "He's a Pirate" from the movie Pirates of the Caribbean.

Stjepan Hauser, known professionally as HAUSER, is celebrated for his dynamic cello performances that blend classical pieces with contemporary hits. "The Rebel Is Back!" tour showcased a diverse setlist that included the following songs:

• "Emmanuel" (Michel Colombier cover)
• "Adagio en Sol Menor" (Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni cover)
• "Caruso" (Lucio Dalla cover)
• "Love Story" (performed with Amy Manford)
• "Now We Are Free" (Hans Zimmer cover, with Amy Manford)
• "My Heart Will Go On" (Céline Dion cover, with Amy Manford)
• "The Phantom of the Opera" (Andrew Lloyd Webber cover, with Amy Manford)
• "Game of Thrones: main title" (Ramin Djawadi cover)
• "Living La Vida Loca" (Ricky Martin cover)
• "Highway to Hell" (AC/DC cover)
• "Sweet Caroline "(Neil Diamond cover)
• "Quizás, quizás, quizás" (Osvaldo Farrés cover)
• "Conga" (Miami Sound Machine cover)
• "Livin' on a Prayer" (Bon Jovi cover)
• "He's a Pirate" (Klaus Badelt cover)
• "Despacito" (Luis Fonsi cover)
• "Señorita" (Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello cover)
• "Bamboléo" (Gipsy Kings cover)
• "Hallelujah" (Leonard Cohen cover)

Overall, the concert was fantastic and the first one that I can recall, where my wife was taking photos and videos throughout. It was much better than we expected!

The "Rebel Is Back" tour featured two special guest performers: violinist Caroline Campbell and soprano Amy Manford. 

However, he did not play my favorite - Czardas (here is a video with Caroline Campbell):

Hauser - The Rebel is Back Review

Positives

• Excellent selection of popular songs, spanning multiple genres: classical, Latin, pop, rock, and folk 
• Energetic performances by Hauser and his band
• Excellent special effects
• One of the best (if not the best) concerts in recent memory
• Two hours of non-stop music
• Hauser was joking around and interacting with the audience
• Fantastic violin performance by the virtuoso Caroline Campbell
• Standout songs included: "Adagio en Sol Menor", "Caruso", "Game of Thrones", "Conga", "Despacito", "Bamboleo", and "Hallelujah"

Negatives

• San Jose Civic Center is not the best venue for concerts, as the seats are not sloping.
• On some songs, the large screen showed a video, which was out of sync with Hauser's movements on the stage.

Links

• Hauser Official