Evan Honer Brings the “Variety” and the “Play” to Atlanta’s Variety Playhouse
March 3rd, Atlanta, Georgia
A crowd of all ages trickled on March 3 to see Evan Honer for his It’s A Long Road tour at Variety Playhouse in Atlanta. Evan Honer fans crowded their way to the front of the venue, filling up the pit and preparing for harf. to kick off his set. His acoustic performance laid the groundwork for the rest of the night, with songs such as “For You I’ll Wait.” The pit was full of enthusiastic fans, waiting anxiously. The band came out and the crowd waited for Evan, who soon made quite the entrance with a backflip, energizing the crowd. The lights were on and the stage was set with wonderful ambient lighting, including classic table lamps and a halo of lights in the background surrounded by red curtains.
A few songs into the set and the band leaves, shifting the tone and leaving Evan alone on the stage. He explains the backstory to his heartfelt song “Brother” and performs it alone, just him on the stage with only his guitar and a spotlight. The fans paid close attention. The care put into this song and this moment was like a heavy fog filling the room, having an impact on everyone in it. Similarly to “Brother,” “Mr Meyers” was performed acoustically as well. Evan tells the crowd it’s time for a depressing part of the show, and everyone cheers. The acoustic sets were a highlight.
harf. is brought out for a duet cover of Pinegrove’s song “Rings.” Evan states their love for Pinegrove and for this song. Shortly after, the band begins to play “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown,” and his dog is brought on stage! Evan holds him up, big headphones on and tongue out, and introduces us to Leroy Brown. The fans are cheering and filming and loving the introduction to such an important team member.
With the show wrapping up - it’s time for a crowd favorite - a cover of Tyler Childer’s song “Jersey Giant.” The energy in the crowd was unmatched, as fans passionately sang along to every word. The encore ensues and a fan shouts from the crowd, “Hey can you fix my car?” to which Evan laughs and replies, “No, I cannot fix your car.” and ends the night with “Idk Shit About Cars,” everyone sings and dances to close out the night. For a final goodbye, he nails another backflip and waves before leaving the stage.
Evan Honer released an impressive album last year, Everything I Wanted (deluxe edition out now), putting feelings of someone in their mid-twenties into words. It is a wonderful feeling to be able to hear something that you can relate to so well, and that is what Evan does with his music. Playing a variety of his discography for shows, you can be sure that he will play the song you want to hear. There’s laughing, jumping, dancing, singing, crying, loving, and more - and what a talent to be able to incorporate all of those feelings into a 90-minute set. This was one of the first shows of his tour, so you have plenty of time to catch him. You definitely don’t want to miss this!
