Evan Honer's It's A Long Road Tour Drives Through Detroit
Thursday evening a long line began at the doors of The Majestic Theater in Detroit. People of all ages showed up early to get a good spot, eagerly awaiting what the night had in store for them. Evan Honer, an indie-folk singer originally from Arizona, was making a stop in Detroit on his It’s a Long Road tour, and the people were excited.
To start off the night, a local Michigan act was added to the bill. Christian Ohly, under the stage name Ohly, stepped out and delivered an incredible performance. There’s always something special about local artists being able to connect with people over the place they call home, and this set was no exception. A laid-back, acoustic folk set from Ohly was the perfect mood setter for the evening.
Second on the lineup was Michal Leah. Her soul-pop set and strong vocals captivated the crowd. Joined by a guitarist, the set was simple but demanding nonetheless. Her set was full of sweet love songs, including her viral song The Way I Love You and an unreleased track titled Blueberry Wine.
The lights cut out and all eyes were on Evan Honer as he, quite literally, jumped onto the stage with a backflip. The room erupted with cheers, and the crowd scream-sang their hearts out as he began to sing the opening track, Everything I Wanted. Honer has this incredible, energetic stage presence about him, and he rarely was in the same spot for more than a few seconds. The same could be said for the people who filled up the venue as the infectious energy spread from person to person.
Honer showed he could do more than captivate the crowd with his energy, as the band exited the stage and he slowed it down for an acoustic set halfway through the night, with just him and his guitar. One song in particular, a track titled Brother, had the room go silent as he explained the very heartfelt backstory behind the lyrics and his relationship with his brother. The emotion in his voice was raw and heartfelt, and was a standout moment of the night for me.
Later in the set, and after the band had returned to the stage, a surprise guest was wheeled onto the stage on a skateboard, Honer’s dog, Leroy! Wearing little headphones to protect his ears, Honer picked him up and sang with Leroy in his arms, holding him up for the crowd to see as everyone cheered. After a few more songs, they all left the stage once more, only to return a few minutes later for a heavily demanded encore. During the encore the band covered Fall Out Boy’s 2005 track Sugar, We’re Going Down, and that was the loudest the crowd had been all night. A very unexpected song for Honer to cover, but a very, very welcome surprise. It was as if the crowd lit up all at once, and there wasn’t a single person that wasn’t singing or moving along.
As the lights went up and the fans filed out of the venue (and into the merch line, which is where I found myself as well), you could feel the familiar post-show buzz spreading from person to person, as conversations could be overheard about how incredible the show they had just seen was. Honer brought in such a diverse crowd, showing that music can connect people from all backgrounds and gather them in one place to have the time of their lives together. With such an incredible lineup and fantastic sets from all three acts, It’s A Long Road tour will be one fans, myself included, remember for a very long time.
OHLY
MICHAL LEAH
EVAN HONER
