REVIEW: JOHN VINCENT III @ ROYALE 10/9
Photo Credit: Kaitlyn Renee
Review by Isabelle Ireland
On October 9, John Vincent III came to Boston for his first show in the city, playing at The Royale. This is his first headline tour for his recent album “Songs For The Canyon.” He started his music career in 2014 in Houston, Texas, when he was just seventeen. His current tour, “The Roadtrip,” started on August 17 in the EU/UK leg of the tour, and he has finally made his way to the northeast.
To begin the show, Hazlett, an Australian artist, started with an amazing yet incredibly sad set. Hazlett is a newer artist, but he is not new to the music world; he used to be a bassist in a band until it split. Hazlett came on stage alone for his set, playing the guitar in an ethereal way with harsh backlights and fog, which gave him a hazy feeling. He has an amazing voice and beautiful lyrics. Between his songs, he would tell stories, and it perfectly set the vibes for the rest of the night for JV3. I spoke with Hazlett after the show, and he plans to make his way back to Boston in March 2025, so keep your eye out for a concert from him; it was truly something special.
Walking onto the red-lit stage with a peace sign and a beer, John Vincent III and his band entered the stage. His opening song, “City Rain,” sparked immediate excitement from fans. It is a slower song with bells in the background and a popular song to start the night.
One of the best parts of their performance is the friendship and love that is visible between the bandmates and John himself. You can tell that they are not only co-workers and bandmates but also good friends. Nothing beats a friendly, happy band, and it really brought energy to their show.
“I’m gonna sing a love song if that’s alright,” was a memorable statement by JV3 as he threw a harmonica over his head and began playing “Lover of Mine” off his “Songs from the Valley” album. His multitasking skills, playing the guitar harmonica, and singing were admirable and interesting to watch.
JV3 explained many of his songs before and after singing them, which made the show feel more intimate and purposeful. As an audience member who has not been listening for years, it was beautiful to hear the way he described how he felt making each song and what they mean to him. Before he sang “Birds Singing,” he told the crowd that this song was about second chances, that he was close to quitting music for good and didn’t know if he would ever come back to it.
He continued with the show, playing “Lincoln, NB,” “Something in my Pride” (which is apparently about needing a break), and “Juniper and Yellow,” which he had written during a snowstorm at his parents’ house.
You could tell this tour meant a lot to JV3 because he was nothing but grateful for the crowd. “This song is about leaving home for the first time and giving life a shot. I knew I wanted to do music so badly, and I didn’t know what was going to happen. I got to sing it in front of you guys, and I’m just so grateful. This is ‘Slow Song,’ and it’s called that because of the speed in which I play it.” The crowd then laughed as JV3 slowly began strumming his guitar.
He followed it with “Mountain Sounds,” one of the first songs he wrote, and then went on to “Dandelion,” another popular one.
After, he introduced his parents. The crowd screamed and waved as JV3’s parents looked down from the terrace of the Royale and waved like a king and queen. It was so special knowing he was playing for his parents along with the crowd, and he went on to play “In the Sheets,” a song that references them. In this song, when he changed his lyrics to “somewhere like Boston,” the crowd went crazy.
He finished his set with “Never, No, Not Once” and “Next to You,” where he took his earpiece out to hear the crowd sing his song at a high volume. It was beautiful to experience.
After his bandmates and he walked off the stage, his parents began to ramp up the crowd so JV3 would come back for an encore and play “Lost Inside Our Minds” and “That’s Just the Way It Is.”
John Vincent III is a beautiful soul with an even more amazing voice and talent. His voice is the perfect type of raspy that you can listen to all day, and I highly encourage it. If you have not heard him before, definitely add him to whatever streaming platform you use and try to catch the end of his tour in DC, PA, SC, and GA.