Opening the night at Infinity Hall in Hartford, SHUA set the tone with a tender, introspective 30 minute set that blended melancholy and warm. His stage banter was a bit awkward, but in a way that made you smile instead of cringe. He mentioned that he’d been feeling sad about D’Angelo’s passing and that sense of loss wove its way through his set. He threw in a heartfelt cover of The Beatles’ Yesterday which landed beautifully in the intimate setting. (Also, kudos to the crowd for being so attentive, there was very minimal crowd chatter during his set, which was quite a surprise to me.) By the end of the set, SHUA prepared the crowd to be the “Johnnyswim choir”. SHUA’s performance was very sincere and I hope we cross paths again in the future!
It’s hard to write about a headliner set that leaves you speechless, but Johnnyswim’s set just about did. The duo (and real life couple!) filled Infinity Hall with amazing harmonies that makes you start to believe that maybe, just maybe, soulmates are real. They performed their newest album in FULL, explaining that they didn’t want to “tear it apart” though they treated the crowd to a few beloved older tunes too. Amanda reminisced about her Connecticut childhood – she spent her adolescents in Westport but on a trip in fourth grade she came to Hartford to look at the buildings. Amanda introduced “Psilocybin” with “It’s Tuesday and we’re gonna vibe! But this next song is about depression.” During I’m Alright the show paused briefly when someone in the crowd looked like they needed help. Abner noticed instantly, checking in twice mid-song to make sure things were ok – proof that the band’s heart is just as strong as their vocals. In true throwback fashion, they were recording the show to cassette which would be available at the merch booth. Talk about a 90s throwback. Abner also decided to throw in some D’Angelo in the set which Amanda said he decided to do about 30 seconds before they stepped on stage. Johnnyswim didn’t just play Hartford, they belonged there.
