On January 18, night one of John Vincent III’s sold out double-header at the Bowery Ballroom, family, friends, and loyal fans who’ve waited nearly five years for a performance from Vincent packed the 600 occupant venue. John Vincent III and his band opened their mini-tour of five stops in New York City in celebration of their newest record, Songs For The Canyon.
Celebrating the close-knit musical nature of New York, he sourced two local performers to open the evening: AYLA and Noah Pope, two impressive lyricists and advocates of acoustic simplicity. AYLA is an East Village native who pulled in a crowd of her own. With her teal guitar and dream-state poetry, she was the warmest icebreaker. Noah Pope, fresh to the city from Nashville, followed suit with a kind demeanor and unique vocal offering. His soft and cloudy voice designed for folk music and a knack for the harmonica proved him a surefire crowd favorite.
In between sets, the audience conversed quietly and showed off their new merchandise emulating Vincent’s newest record, Songs For The Canyon (2023). Their excitement for John Vincent III was genuine, like that of a supportive friend. The tight quarters enabled friendships to form, strangers packed shoulder to shoulder spoke to one another, their smiles lingering.
When the Bowery lights dimmed, John Vinent III made his way onto stage solo to take a seat in front of the rustic piano. On the finger-stained keys he played the show into motion. Following his intro, his band made their way on stage to take their places behind their respective instruments. A drumset, an electric guitar, an acoustic guitar, and a bass.
John Vincent III’s stage presence was calm. No amount of high energy compensation was needed to enhance his performance. The poetry did all the heavy lifting. Each song would be introduced by title, maybe a slight anecdote was given of its origin, and the band would deliver folk-brilliance. Second song on the setlist, “City Rain,” third song “Lover of Mine,” an audience safehold.
“I don’t really know what this song is about… I guess getting excited about the unknown I suppose.” Vincent introduced his fourth song of the evening, “Slow Song.” It’s one of the wonders of music when a song’s “meaning” is not dependent on the literacy of lyrics, but can be tangibly understood through the direction of a melody and the culmination of instrumental sounds.
The audience absorbed everything Vincent had to say, studying up at him eager to know more about his writing, his stories. While his music didn’t warrant an explosion of energetic dance, it offered a more reflective service. Crowd members gently swayed, held themselves and others, and listened with their noses tipped upwards towards the stage trying to hear and uncover the sheet draped over each lyric.
The set turned acoustic, and the band sat back as John Vincent strummed solo on his guitar etched with a hummingbird design. The crowd yewed and softly sang along.
After an earnest ode to New York City, Vincent thanked his friends and family who made it to night one of their Bowery double-header. The Ohio born and raised, Texas and Los Angeles living traveler pulled in people from all across the country.
Songs For The Canyon, their newest release, is an excellent revival record. Vincent’s lyricism remains tethered to the idea of transience. Each song offers the experience of leaving and coming back while meditating on the people, presence, and life collected along the way. While physical travel is a large player in Vincent’s modality of storytelling, equally is severe isolation. How one can be isolated in time and space through the disablement of thought and attachment – his lyrics break down this paradoxical phenomenon.
The stage lights hued a warm golden orange, like that of a sunset afterglow. This energy perfectly matched the soulful, fire crackle, smoked ambiance of their sound. As the stretch of the show came towards its close, John Vincent III exchanged I love you’s with fans who tossed the words up to him on stage from all corners of the venue.
He closed out the set with one of his most socially acclaimed songs “Next To You,”, with Vincent saying “This is a song I am very grateful for, and without it I don’t think some of you would be here.” The audience harmonized with him, and the ballroom hummed.
After the band left the stage, it wasn’t long before they returned for an encore – the modern day icing on the cake for concerts. People just can’t get enough, and artists never want the plate to clear. The three song finale was intimate. The band brought out stools and played each song acoustically, raw. Their hit, “In My Sheets” warranted a gutty singalong, and a memorable lyric change.
“Maybe somewhere like New York, love.”
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