The season's changing was more seamless with a lovely performance from John Vincent III at the 9:30 Club on October 12th. His music feels like a warm cup of tea, making you fantasize about being swept off to a quiet, scenic part of the country with someone you love. This was his first headlining tour, and he had Hazlett join him for this stretch after welcoming Murdo Mitchell and Hazel English earlier in the journey.
Hazlett opened the show with delicate, sweet songs of heartbreak and tribulation. His acoustic folk style is nothing short of soothing, yet it will have you reflecting on your inner emotional world. The crowd sang along as he closed his set with his most famous hit, "Blame the Moon," and quipped, "Thank you for coming out and being depressed with me," before leaving the stage. Hazlett was a perfectly paired sound to what JV would bring thereafter.
John Vincent III was welcomed with a welcoming roar and immediately pleased by opening up with "City Rain." His voice carries a nostalgic intimacy as if you are sitting beside a fire, sharing stories of your travels. He touches on personal matters of the heart and affection in the most endearing way. After the first song, he thanked the crowd and explained that it was his first time being in D.C. He also shared that he had taken a hiatus from music and wasn't sure if he would return, but expressed how happy he was to be back. His gratitude radiated throughout the venue. He followed up with "Lover of Mine" and "Bluebird Singing."
It was striking to see how many people in the crowd seemed to know every word to every song, which showed how loyal a fanbase John Vincent III has built and how deeply his music has impacted others. His connection to the crowd was so pure that he abruptly stopped in the middle of "Juniper in Yellow" to make sure a girl in the audience, who was experiencing a medical emergency, was okay. Even though he couldn't see what was happening, he said he wasn't comfortable continuing until he knew she was in good hands. Once her safety was confirmed and the crowd cheered for her with love, he restarted "Juniper in Yellow" from the beginning to everyone's excitement.
His band stopped for the next few songs, allowing him to perform solo acoustic pieces. He delivered a catalog of beautiful, melodic tunes as the crowd swayed. His vocal range and ability were impressive, effortlessly shifting between a deeper rasp and higher notes. His songs allude to nature, and he has a gift for revealing how symbolic the simple things in life indeed are. He treated us to "Slow Song", "Mountain Sound", and "Dandelion".
The band rejoined him to perform his newest single, "Never, No Not Once," which was a crowd favorite, yet everyone knew what song he was gearing up to end with -- his breakout single, "Next to You." He told the audience he desperately wanted to play one more song but felt constrained by the strict time limit. As the crowd groaned in disbelief and begged for another, he apologized, explaining that he couldn't break the rules and his microphone was shortly after cut off. Some hoped for a surprise encore, but when the house lights came on, it was clear the show was over.
As everyone poured out onto the street, enchanted by the performance yet hungry for that one last song, John Vincent III unexpectedly emerged from the back door with his guitar. At that moment, he decided that he would perform the final song right there on the sidewalk. The crowd gathered around him in a circle and sang along as he played "Next to You." It was so gentle -- a truly beautiful moment of dedication from him and his fans, creating the perfect space to close the show properly. On occasions like this, you see artists who show up for their fans and do what they can to make the night special for them. We are blessed to be gifted with a warm memory that will carry through in these intimate moments that we don't get too often at a show.