John Vincent III • Hazel English • September 25, 2024 • The Commonwealth Room
Reviewed by Morgan Newbold
Photos by: Stephen Speckman Courtesy of The State Room Presents
Last Wednesday, Salt Lake welcomed the lovely John Vincent III to The Commonwealth Room for ‘The Roadtrip’ tour! It has been at least five years since John played in Utah, so it was a treat to have him back. I have loved his music since I discovered him in 2019, and I was stoked to finally see him live. It was also the first attending a show at Commonwealth, and it did not disappoint! It’s a cozy intimate venue with a few bars and an outdoor patio. I arrived just as the show started and was able to get up to the front for an amazing view!
Hazel English
The opener was Hazel English, an Australian American indie songwriter based in California. She was incredibly sweet and her voice was angelic. She played a chill, half-acoustic set, with her bandmate accompanying her with his soft electric riffs that paired beautifully with her melodies. I checked out some of her music on the drive up, and I was pleased that she was even better live! Her music reminds me a little bit of Men I Trust or Soccer Mommy.
John Vincent III
John Vincent III is a 28-year old American indie-pop/folk artist from Houston! He’s based in LA, and got his start in 2015 when he released his first EP. He has 3 full albums now, but his 2019 sophomore album, ‘Songs from the Valley’ really got his name out here! One of his songs on the record, ‘Next to You’, has over 150 million streams on Spotify. His voice is like honey. Dually raw and raspy, but silky with a subtle southern tone. He has said he’s heavily inspired by artists and bands like Bon Iver, Carole King, and The Doors! His sound is very folk heavy, and as some others describe, Americana-pop!
When John came on, the whole room’s energy changed. There were a lot of devoted fans there to support him! He was such a sweetheart and expressed all his gratitude to the room and the fans for getting him where he is today. They started the set with “City Rain” and “Lover of Mine”, two songs that I absolutely adore! He sounded exactly like the studio recordings and even better, giving more emotion into his performance. His folk-pop sound is very comforting and beautiful to listen to, I deeply enjoy a gentle acoustic rhythm paired with his flawless vocals; floating and echoing through the small room.
The lighting was a glowy orange and red, and along with an acoustic, he played a sparkly gold and white electric guitar. He was wearing a leather vest, boots and blue jeans. A whole Southern vibe. He and his wonderfully charming band played a really great set, a lot of new songs, and a lot of old ones as well! They were all so playful together and you could just tell they were like brothers. There was so much love in the room.
They played my favorite songs “Lover of Mine” and “Slow Song”! It was such a sweet show! As much as I love high-energy rock concerts, every once in a while I need to see chill and wholesome shows and hear the songs that have gotten me through a lot of emotional times in my life! The Roadtrip Tour is almost over, so be sure to catch one of his dates on the East Coast!