Jonny Craig Visits Indy

The crowd that assembled for Jonny Craig’s performance at Indianapolis’s Emerson Theater was small but mighty. Controversy and addiction have plagued the former Dance Gavin Dance front man for years and just when it seemed he was rising back to the top his current band Slaves was kicked off this summer’s Vans Warped Tour after sexual harassment allegations and rumors of a relapse started making waves. But despite all of the struggles Craig’s fans remain loyal. Local artists Jay Putty and My Sweet Fall started the night off with acoustic sets. Although both artists were quite different from what the rest of the night would have in store it turns out they were a perfect addition to the bill and the crowd was hooked and engaged from the beginning. Although relatively new as a solo artist, Kyle Lucas is far from a newcomer to the music scene. In years past he fronted the rock-rap band Vonnegutt, which was signed to Big Boi’s Purple Ribbon Records, and it seems Lucas is putting those years of experience to good use. The first thing you notice about Lucas is his complete sense of comfort on stage and his desire to get as close to his fans as possible. Lucas played a number of tracks off his most recent release Marietta, Georgia: The Album and The Blueprint for Going in Circles. Midway through his set Lucas was joined on stage by best friend and tour headliner Jonny Craig to perform songs such as “We Black Hearts Bear the Cross” and the recent single “Veritas.” The camaraderie between the two was immediately evident. After a short break Travis Garland appeared on stage accompanied by his guitarist. Whereas the other artists on the bill seemed to focus on energy and putting on a show, Garland seemed far more interested in creating an atmosphere. The room remained dark for his set with minimal lighting shooting up from the bottom of the stage, creating a moody atmosphere. The crowd didn’t seem to mind the sudden and drastic shift in energy. Couples held on to one another while Garland belted out his sexually charged tracks. At long last headlining artist Jonny Craig took to the stage. It seems as though his appearance during Kyle Lucas’s set only increased fans’ excitement, as the room went wild when Craig emerged for his set. A highlight of Craig’s set was “Children of Divorce” which Craig has openly talked about as being a song that helped free him from the burdens of a previous relationship. The emotion came through in the performance, with much of the room singing along and making for a memorable performance. In the second half of Jonny Craig’s set Kyle Lucas returned the favor and joined Craig on stage. Lucas’s appearance seemed to bring a bit of life to Jonny who, although clearly in to the show, seemed somewhat distant for much of his set. During “I Still Feel Her, Pt. 5” Craig hopped up on a stack of speakers Towards the end of the night Craig performed a cover of Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me A River” and was joined by Travis Garland midway through the song. The pair’s vocals blended seamlessly as they maneuvered through soulful crooning moments to emotional and angst-filled yells throughout the song. In the end fans were treated to a night of incredible artistry . The local talent was top notch and it was so refreshing to see how the artists on the tour held one another in such high esteem. The night was all about sharing the stage and spreading positivity- a recipe for a fantastic night. [lg_slideshow folder=\”2015/Johnny Craig in Indianapolis/Johnny Craig/\”]