Kevin Atwater Brings First Headline Tour to Philadelphia

Kevin Atwater is a 27-year-old voice for a large audience of fans ranging in all demographics. The singer-songwriter was born and raised in the Midwest and made his way to Los Angeles in pursuit of music. Kevin made his break by opening for artists such as Jeremy Zucker and Searows and is soon set to open for Noah Kahan. His first ever headline tour is a welcoming and intimate space. All in attendance for his Philadelphia show dressed, as requested by Kevin, as their favorite queer character. 

Kevin began his set slow and somber, opening with songs off ‘Achilles,’ his newest album, “threat” and “Jamie’s Daydream”, with an additional two band members beside him. After those songs, the set picks up, getting huge energy from the band and audience during one of his album’s singles “the cage.” The song is an angry anthem about being taken advantage of, accompanied by heavy drums and the urge to release all pent-up anger.  

After a few more songs, he pivoted to a cover of Troy Sivan’s “My My My.” This cover flipped the original song’s sound on its head and slowed it down to fit right into Kevin’s set, which continued into that slow sound with his song “jailer.” A slow picking pattern, “jailer” perfectly sets the mood for a very deep cut song. “Call of Duty” calls for Kevin to take a moment to explain it’s background, where he explains the traumatic experience losing his grandmother was, which is what the song is about. Not every artist can be this raw and honest, and Kevin’s vulnerability is admirable at this point in his set. 

In the final four track run of his set, he goes through some of his more well known songs, some old and some new. “Why Did You Invite Me To Your Wedding,” title track off his album “Achilles” and “star tripping” all received roars from the crowd upon playing.  “Why Did You Invite Me To Your Wedding” tells a true story of his when an ex invited him to his wedding, and seemed to resonate with the crowd. “Achilles” lives as a sort of angry war cry, with long instrumentals and guitar solos. Lastly, a fan favorite “star tripping,” titled after a game played in the Midwest when you are bored, was an upbeat and danceable song to end his set on a high note. 

Kevin’s tour continues on until early May, stopping in loads of cities including New York City, Los Angeles, Dallas and more. Be sure to enjoy Kevin’s music anywhere you stream and catch him either opening at Hyde Park or throughout the rest of THE ACHILLES TOUR.