You may recognize Evan Honer from American Idol two seasons ago — or, maybe not. Despite not making it past initial auditions, Evan has proved the judges all wrong in recent years. Soaring in popularity, Evan has racked up almost 3 million monthly listeners on Spotify with hundreds of thousands more across other platforms. Evan’s sweet charisma and bright disposition makes him super likeable — even for those who don’t usually listen to his blended genre of acoustic Americana, country, folk and indie.
Evan stopped at Los Angeles’ El Rey Theatre last week, greeted by a packed room with fans from wall-to-wall. He kicked off the show with his signature back handspring and backflip combo, sending the first-timers in the crowd through the roof. Jumping into the set with “Everything I Ever Wanted,” he continued on with songs like “Take Me As I Am” and “Annabelle.” Evan narrated his way through the night, giving us insight into the origin of many of his songs. He explained the significance of his song “Brother” — written for his brother who has struggled with mental illness, specifically Schizoaffective Disorder. The audience fell somber listening to Evan’s frustration, sharing his sadness in that moment and sympathizing with each word.
On a lighter note, we were lucky enough to hear two new songs, “Lose A Friend” and “Maybe For Once” — both with soulful vocals and powerful emotion. Evan threw in a crowd favorite (and mine, too) called “idk shit about cars.” Laughing a bit between lines, Evan lit up the room as people began dancing in their places to this light-hearted track. There is genuine artistry that shines through Evan when he performs — he is the perfect blend of casual and cool with articulate acoustics. His stage presence is radiant. His smile is infectious. If he’s having a good time, so are we. If you have the chance to check out Evan live, you’ll see why.
Highly recommended for fans of: Tyler Childers, Noah Kahan, Dylan Gossett, Wylon Watt, Benson Boone.
GALLERY: Evan Honer at El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles (March 6, 2025)
