Review by Lyra Wilson.
In this world, we're all looking for connection and friendship. At Vincent Lima and Jonah Kagen's sold-out show at Beat Kitchen, I couldn't have found a more visceral experience between these two poignant artists. Musicians turned friends, Vincent opened for Jonah a while back, connecting over common interests. Now, they were able to connect again to play for a lovely Chicago crowd. One of those common interests was their experience of having contracted food poisoning from a bad pizza in St. Paul, Minnesota, leading up to the show. Maybe this is proof that we should only stick to genuine Chicago pizza. In their words, they were running on "fever adrenaline". Perhaps they shouldn't get food poisoning more often to have a great show, especially since Jonah wound up having to get an IV to combat it. But that energetic fever spread through the audience once the music began.
As I looked at the stage, I couldn't help but notice how many girls were standing there. Some were in groups with their friends, while others hugged their boyfriends. Some of them were exclaiming multiple times about how cute Jonah and Vincent were, while others jumped up and down when they knew what song was going to be played next. As the night went on, both of them recounted their first experiences of meeting their first ever fans in a funny way. They noted how grateful they were, but also how awkward it felt at the time. "If any of you were the girl I gave a high five to as a response, I'm so sorry," said Jonah. The audience laughed a lot at this, as we've all been there with the second-hand embarrassment.
I was thrilled to watch their live music performance, but what I didn't anticipate was how naturally funny both of them were and how they interacted with the audience. Vincent had a dry sense of humor and introduced himself on stage by saying, "Hi, I'm a zero-time Grammy award winner, but I think there are some good songs in here." It was little quips like these that helped him connect with the audience. For instance, one man kept asking him questions about when his next shows were and where he lived. Vincent responded like a natural comedian saying, "You know there isn't a participation award, but you'd definitely be a front runner if there was, sir.""
Where there comes humor, there is also grief. Vincent writes songs about reminiscing those places, people or experiences he’s once come to love. He talked about his latest singles “Orpheus” and upcoming song, “Fire” as an ode to his love of Greek mythology. “Orpheus” details the experience of descending into memories of someone between life and death. The second portion of the song connects to ascending back from grief; believing that good things can happen again. Vincent’s performance on the piano radiated into my heart. Personally, it was eye opening to see how others view grief and what they took away from it; especially after going through that time and time again myself.
After taking time to compose myself, after a little music therapy session, Jonah came onto the stage. I must say, from the moment he appeared, he had this glow and happiness in his eyes. Or maybe it was the glassiness from being sick. Nevertheless, he was prepped with tea and warned jokingly to the front row they may be in grave danger of being vomited on. Despite being ill, he exuded so much life and shared his love for anyone who listened to his music. He talked about his writing process, cracked jokes, played new songs from his upcoming album that he's finishing up after the tour, and so much more.
Not being able to afford a band, allowed Jonah to bear his creativity by utilizing his loop pedal which he says can be great especially for songs he sometimes writes right before shows. Otherwise, it may be disheartening hearing a flub over and over again in a loop. What amazed me, was how he fast he was able to turnover songs; anywhere between fifteen minutes or a day. During the show, Jonah shared a new song that he is especially proud of called "Chrissy". He explains that it's a song about his mother, and the crowd reacts with "awws". Jonah jokes, "Yeah, I'm a big softie." Like Vincent's song about grief, Jonah's song about his mom resonated with me. He talks about her life, getting married young, wanting love, but facing abuse in her marriage. Despite the challenges, she managed to escape and live for someone else rather than herself. This struggle is something I've seen in my own mother and I’ve even seen in some of my friends' families. I'm excited for its release because it's beautifully written and captures how much he cares about his mom.
At the end of the night, the show culminated in a triumphant performance. Jonah invited Vincent back on stage to play one last song together, which gave the performance the energy of a lively southern hoedown. The music was acoustic, and the audience was enthusiastically stomping and clapping, causing the room to shake like an earthquake. By the end of the night, there was so much joy in the air that it was impossible to deny it. Vincent Lima, a Chicago native …for two months before becoming a Jersey boy who sings melodically like one, and Jonah Kagen, whose gravelly voice and lyrics show that Georgia hasn’t left his mind. What a pair. I was so happy to be a part of their acoustic show and I’m anticipating the new albums soon. As per Jonah’s request, if you ever see one of his shows or love his merch online, know that his mom printed all the t-shirts. By supporting him, you'd not only support artists, but also the art moms. Your support will mean the world to him.
All photos by Lyra Wilson