Last night, singer-songwriter Devin Dawson kicked off his 2019 leg of the ‘Stray Off Course Tour’ at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City with special guest, Jillian Jacqueline. Luckily for New Yorkers, we got to experience this tour after Dawson extended the run and even despite the freezing temperatures, fans showed up to pack the place for another sold-out show at Bowery Ballroom.

Kicking off the night, rising artist Jillian Jacqueline took the stage going straight into performing her songs, “Hate Me” and “Holier Than Thou,” off her EP Side A. Before going any further into the night she mentioned, “This feels good, it feels like the perfect way to kick off this year, thank you guys so much for being here!” Jacqueline performed most of her songs from both EPs, Side A and Side B, like “Somebody,” “Sad Girls,” “Tragic,” “Reasons,” “If I Were You (feat. Keith Urban),” and her current single “Priorities.” Jacqueline put her beautiful vocals on full display, showcasing her raw talent to the crowd.

Before ending the night with her last song, she took a moment to talk to the crowd saying, “This has been a lot of fun. New York City you are amazing. I always love coming back here, it is my hometown show…thank you guys so much for the warm welcome…I just gotta say this tour with Devin Dawson is really exciting and I couldn’t think of a better tour for me to be on…Thank you, Devin, for having me out!” Ending the night with a song that has always meant a lot to her and for those who may need some words of encouragement, singing “God Bless This Mess.”

Next up was the man of the hour, Devin Dawson. He ran out on stage kicking off his set performing his high-intensity song, “War Paint.” Right off the bat, he was full of energy, getting the crowd pumped for a great show ahead. With the night just getting started he yells into the microphone, “Hell yea! How we all feeling tonight? Somebody scream with me. My name is Devin Dawson and I am now a 30 year old. This is the first show of the ‘Stray Off Course Tour’ for 2019 baby!” Dawson who just celebrated his 30th birthday the day before was ready to jam out the entire night while performing every song off his debut album, Dark Horse.

Throughout the night, Dawson made sure to interact with the crowd by talking in between each song, connecting with the audience on a personal level while also making sure they were having a blast. Each song transitioned perfectly into one another as Dawson and his band jammed out, turning the show into a rock concert. When it came time for his upbeat song “Placebo” he had one rule for the crowd, to jump. The crowd did just that, jumping in unison getting everyone’s blood pumping and ready for the rest of the night ahead. Before continuing his set he mentioned to the crowd, “If you guys have been to one of my shows before if you know me at all, you know I’m influenced by a lot of different things. I grew up listening to a lot of rock…a lot of soul, a lot of R&B, a lot of pop, all of that but number one on my mom’s record player when I was a kid was always country music…The one thing I learned was how to write a song…and this next song I’m about to sing is just my example of just writing a very good country song.” Performing his vulnerable single “Asking For A Friend,” the entire crowd sang back the lyrics to Dawson, making it a moment to never forget.

As the night went on, those lucky enough to be in the crowd had the chance to hear not one but two new songs from the singer-songwriter. One of which Dawson had written after he had a conversation with someone we all know, Tim McGraw called “I Got A Truck.” This song told a story while his other new song, “Finishing Touches” was all about the lyrics, saying that it was a groovy love song. He gave everyone a taste of what was coming, making the crowd excited to hear what was next for the singer.

That wasn’t all for the night, Dawson brought Jacqueline out one last time to perform their duet “I Can’t Trust Myself.” Combining their talents, they sang their hearts out singing the emotional lyrics to one another while their voices intertwined perfectly. After Jacqueline had walked off stage, Dawson mentioned that he had been waiting a really long time to tour with Jillian so he can do that song.

With the night coming to an end, Dawson couldn’t leave without singing the song that started it all, his debut single “All Of Me.” He had the entire crowd with their hands up swaying back and forth while they sang back the lyrics to the singer. Before officially ending the night, Dawson came back on stage for the encore saying, “It’s so insane, we’ve been opening up for so many people for you know two or three years now and to finally get to come headline in New York City and you guys sold this show out. It means the world to me man, thank you guys so much for showing up. Everything I sang tonight is on my debut album…Every single one of those songs on that album is my way of just telling you guys my story, three minutes at a time but this last song as many of you guys know is my autobiography…It’s been really cool to see how it brought us all together and I’ve created this family over the last two years and you guys will really never know how much that means to me…Thank you guys so much for tonight!” Ending the night with his powerful song, “Dark Horse.”

New Yorkers, you can check out Jillian Jacqueline once again when she comes back to New York City playing at the Gramercy Theater on May 10th.

—————————-

Thank You for supporting Country Music in NYC!

Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here 
for ticket giveaways, meet & greet contests, upcoming events,
and all things country music in the New York metro area and beyond!

+ Follow our country music adventures on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook: