Jonah Kagen Delivers Heartfelt Set To Sold-Out Nashville Room

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Jonah Kagen

On Thursday night (Feb. 12), Jonah Kagen delivered a commanding set to a sold-out Basement East crowd as part of his “Sunflowers & Leather Tour.”

From the opening notes of “Simon,” the crowd was already tuned in. “The Reaper” followed with a pulsing intensity that got the room moving. He followed his opening tunes with “Candy Land,” “You Again” and “Matches,” keeping the momentum steady. Kagen’s voice kept gravelly and grounded throughout the night.

“There’s a lot of people in here!” Kagen exclaimed from the stage. “I’ve played here before and there was about 1/16 of the crowd in here than there is now. I’m so happy to be here. This tour has been a shock to the system, I feel like I have imposter syndrome.”

Midway through the set, Kagen shifted the energy by sitting down with the band. “Black Lung” landed heavy, drawing an energy over the room that only deepened for “Anvil,” which saw Kagen swap guitar for banjo. The acoustic moment added a raw, front-porch vibe to the evening.

When the band exited stage left and Kagen eventually found himself alone, he went solo for “Krissy,” a song dedicated to his mom. Then came one of the first songs he ever wrote, “Colorado,” played at the crowd’s request.

“Same Wind” began with just Kagen before the band rejoined halfway through, earning one of the loudest applause breaks of the night. “The Roads” carried that lift forward, and by the time he reached band introductions, the smiles onstage mirrored the ones in the crowd.

The final stretch included “Save My Soul” and Gold-certified breakout hit “God Needs the Devil,” both with the audience singing along.

For the encore, Kagen returned with tour and album namesake “Sunflowers & Leather.” Then came “Burn Me” to wrap up the night, elevated by a surprise appearance from Vincent Lima.

Kagen’s “Sunflowers & Leather Tour” will resume March 3 in Oklahoma City.

Madison Hahnen
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