By Scarlett Heikkila, Staff Writer
Who: Jonah Kagen, Anna Graves
Where: The Sinclair
When: Sunday, February 1, 2026
Jonah Kagen, an up-and-coming singer-songwriter from Georgia, put up an incredible show at The Sinclair. After recently kickstarting his Sunflowers & Leather Tour to showcase his debut album, Boston is his tenth stop as he continues to build momentum to sing his way across the country. Although he has only been making music for a couple years, and most recently gained traction in the past year through his breakout single “God Needs The Devil,” this show was fully sold out and the crowd did not fail to bring the energy.
Folk Fantasy
Kagen’s sound is unique in the sense that he is an accumulation of so many different genres. Americana, folk-rock, and country are all key on his new album. Yet before he ever took the stage, opener Anna Graves cast a spell of her own, delivering a 40 minute set which sounded like a folk fantasy as her angelic voice intertwined through the soft strums of her acoustic guitar.
Her long red hair, bootcut jeans, and flowing sleeves painted her perfectly as an old country soul on a modern stage. Her music felt like Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell had a baby, sharpened with an unapologetic female rage. Graves’ songs featured a beautiful mix of acoustic finger picking, strumming, and occasional harmonica, which effortlessly supported her tormented yet serene vocals as she explored themes of personal growth, vulnerability, and emotional self-navigation.
Watching the crowd, everyone was entranced in her poetic embrace. Despite many audience members likely arriving unfamiliar with her work, all eyes were on her the entire time. I can guarantee she gained a few hundred new listeners after last night.
Apart from her music, she herself charmed the crowd. Her personable and bubbly personality had everyone laughing alongside her, and multiple people shouted out words of encouragement as she tuned her guitar or switched out instruments. Up close, I noticed she performed barefoot, a small but telling detail that displayed her grounded presence and comfort in being vulnerable. It was a quiet but visual metaphor for her artistry and a reminder why her music resonates so deeply.
Sunflowers & Leather
Although Kagen did not play the entirety of his new album, Sunflowers and Leather, it was clear that this project carries a greater emotional and artistic level of depth than his earlier work. Most of his songs featured a combination of acoustic and electric guitar, while also being backed by bass and drums. Yet his band never overpowered him or his country twang, they instead complimented his traditional sound while adding a modern undertone that encapsulates his mastery of genre blending.
Before transitioning into songs from Sunflowers and Leather, Kagen warned the crowd that it would be sad songs from then on, but I believe this album is much more than a mere compilation of melancholy tracks. While it grapples with heavy themes such as loss, self-doubt, and failing to accept fractured relationships, his sharp self-reflection and witty lyricism introduce an unexpected sense of lightness. Rather than simply mourning these hardships, Kagen seems to examine them with reverence, as if he was celebrating his failures as formative moments rather than defeats.
Much of the album centers on an honest analysis of his relationships, whether that’s past girlfriends, his mom, or the deeply nuanced relationship he has with himself. Though this theme risks being cliche, Kagen avoids it through his unfiltered transparency and accountability of his mistakes. Especially with his raw, intense vocals, it’s as if he invites listeners to sit with him in his grief and growth, and that is exactly what the crowd did.
What stood out most during the performance was the passion filling the room. Both Kagen and the crowd alike were shouting the lyrics and channeling their own emotions and experiences into the music. While his talent as a performer is undeniable, witnessing the direct emotional impact he had on his audience was just as powerful and perhaps even more moving.
Concert Or Stand-Up Show?
Similarly to Anna Graves, Kagen’s personality was just as loud as his music. In between every song he shared funny anecdotes about his life, his creative process, or anything that happened to cross his mind. Even more impressive than his musical range was his ability to slip seamlessly between voices and accents during these storytimes, turning each pause into its own performance.
He shared embarrassing moments from past tours, like the time he tripped onstage in Germany and head-butted the microphone while simultaneously un-plugging his guitar cable, earning nothing but blank stares. He also recounted memorable fan encounters, like the night an 80-year old repeatedly hit on him and suggested he autographed her body. Stories like these made him deeply relatable, and showed that this recent success is built on years of awkward, humbling moments.
One bit that sent the crowd into hysterics came when Kagen forced his bassist, Jeffrey, to read a pre-written statement after he repeatedly “scolding” Jeffrey for disrespecting him by playing goofy riffs underneath Kagen’s embarrassing stories.
“In my own words, Jonah is a good guy, and he is very handsome […] I don’t deserve this job or a boss as handsome as Jonah—again, this is in my own words, and make sure you stand up tall and smile,” Jeffrey read, before Kagen immediately cut him off, “Jeff you weren’t supposed to say that part!”
Over the course of his 90-minute set, Kagen ripped so many jokes, especially about moms, which helped lift the room after his more intense and vulnerable songs. By the end of the night, I felt as though I knew him and his musical process on a deeper level. Overall, this show was so intimate, and the stories so raw, that it felt less like a concert and more like an ongoing conversation.
Full-Circle Moment
A heartwarming memory that Kagen shared with the crowd was that The Sinclair was one of the first venues he ever played at the start of his career. During soundcheck he reminisced on his start as an opener at The Sinclair, but now he is headlining his own tour for the release of his debut album.
“I had a bit of a full-circle moment, so thanks to everyone for being a part of that,” Kagen said.
Unapologetically Himself
After Kagen finished his set and said his final goodbyes, one thing was unmistakably clear: Jonah Kagen is unapologetically himself. Many of the most memorable moments of the night were unconventional by performance standards, yet that unpredictability is what made his show feel so special.
Midway through the set, Kagen and his band pulled chairs onto the stage, abandoning the drum kit in favor of a cajon. This shift created a warm, fireside atmosphere that felt perfectly aligned with Kagen’s grounded personality. This change of pace deepened the intimacy of the performance, and the emotional weight in the room was clear, by the end tears glistened in hundreds of eyes.
Another striking artistic choice came when Kagen stood alone onstage to perform a few acoustic pieces, and asked the audience to choose what song he should play next. This moment reflected not only his loyalty to his fans but also the intentionally behind his songwriting. The crowd chose “Broken,” the first song he ever released, and a track he admitted he had not performed live in years. Even so, it sounded as raw and immediate as if it had been written yesterday, reinforcing that his music is a genuine extension of himself rather than a manufactured product or cash grab so often seen in today’s industry.
Between the storytimes, spontaneous moments, and heartfelt music, Jonah Kagen delivered a performance that felt refreshingly human. Neither his sound nor his presence can be confined to a single genre, he is a free soul that moves through the wind of his music.
