Jonny Craig’s “The Souls On Fire Tour” – REVIEW

We recently got to attend the Chicago date of Jonny Craig’s “The Souls On Fire Tour” at the Bottom Lounge! You can check out our review and concert photographs, after the break.

Whenever Jonny Craig goes on tour, you can bet he’s going to bring some pretty amazing and musically diverse talent with him. This time on the Souls on Fire tour, he brought along rapper, Kyle Lucas, one man band, William Beckett, alternative rock band, Bleach Blonde, and metal group, Hearts and Hands. With this much talent on the bill, how could you not want to go to a show?

With Bleach Blonde opening the night, even though there wasn’t a full house yet, they rocked the stage. This being the first time hearing them, I was really impressed. They reminded me of early Taking Back Sunday and Senses Fail with their lyrics. I would suggest listening to “Miss Messenger”, “Play Catch Up”, “Is That What You Want”, and “Pillow Talk”. Pick up their new EP, Starving Artist and get rocking.

Next up was Hearts&Hands. As soon as they started I was not expecting the way they sounded. Once I heard them, I was blown away. Unfortunately it seemed they were having a few technical difficulties but that didn’t stop them from going on with their set. It seemed their time on stage was short and I only wish it was longer. One of their songs, they dedicated to anyone who has been affected by suicide. I hope they get to come back soon to play.

Afterwards Kyle Lucas exploded onto the stage. With him was Dj, Captain Midnite and drummer, Jesse. He brought these guys along with him to Warped tour this past year and now they are on tour. Kyle, who is also the vocalist for the band, Vonnegutt, is a natural on stage. At one point Jonny came on stage with him to sing a song as well. Check out his songs “Youth is Running Out”, “Housewife”, and “Your Tragedy” to see why you should see him live. If after the show you took any pictures and see someone in the background photobombing it, chances are it was Kyle. After the show he was sneaking around behind people who were taking pictures and jumping in the background. If Kyle is coming to your city I would not miss the chance to see him live or meet him.

William Beckett, who used to be in The Academy Is…, was up next. Opening up with a song from The Academy Is…, “Attention, Attention”, he said he hasn’t done that the whole tour and it was special for Chicago since it is his hometown. Afterwards he went into his set of his new songs as a solo artist. Bantering in between songs, William has not lost his charm on stage. With just him, his guitar, and computer, Beckett pumps out song after song. Playing crowd favorites such as “By Your Side”, “Benny and Joon”, “Oh Love” and more, the crowd was singing along. After his set he was by his merch table taking pictures and doing signings for people.

When it came for Jonny Craig to take the stage, they were crunched for time because of the 10pm curfew. So Jonny made sure to fit in as many songs as he could without taking breaks or pausing to talk much. During his set, Kyle came on stage to sing a few songs with him including “I Can Still Feel Her, part 5” and “The Party and The Dream”. After, Jonny had an acoustic segment before he ended the night. He made sure to include in his set time “Children of Divorce”, “Rhythm in my Soul”, “7AM, 2 Bottles, and the Wrong Road”, “Nobody Ever Will”, “The Lives We Live”, a cover of Drake’s “Marvin’s Room”, and more. Jonny Craig puts so much emotion into his songs when performing that he literally dances on stage when singing. I would never miss a chance to see him live and neither should you.

All the artists on this tour were amazing, both on stage and off. This tour is not one to pass up and if it is coming to a venue near you, grab a ticket fast before it sells out.

Information about the review…
Tour: The Souls On Fire Tour
Acts: Jonny Craig, William Beckett, Kyle Lucas, Hearts&Hands, Bleach Blonde
Reviewer/Photographer: Ali Jimenez
Date: September 28, 2013
Venue: Bottom Lounge in Chicago, IL

Did you enjoy this review and live photos? Let us know in the comments below!