It was a masterclass in expert songwriting as Rayland Baxter, joined by Theo Kandel, came to City Winery in Chicago.
It’s always great when a new artist comes onto your radar when attending a show, and this was one such occurrence. This was our first introduction to Theo Kandel and one we are happy to have made. Kandel may be on the younger side but knows how to write about his life experiences in a way that strikes home with the audience. Theo had family in attendance for the show, including his Chicago-based Grandfather who he had written a song about. Listening to the lyrics of this song was emotional enough but then when you knew his grandfather was sitting there too made it all the more so. Adding into the mix a song about his dog dying and you’d be excused for thinking was a somber affair but it was anything but. While these songs really tugged at the heartstrings, he also made sure to joke with the audience and even got them to sing along with the final song of his set. An impressive achievement for an opening act. Judging by how many people flocked to the merch table to speak to him after his set, he clearly picked up some new fans from this show. The perfect choice for the opening act.
Next up, it was time for Rayland Baxter to take to the stage. Without any announcement, Rayland strode out onto the stage and took his seat, taking the audience members who were chatting amongst themselves by surprise. The discussions came to a sharp end and everyone’s undivided attention was given to center stage.It’s great when you get to see these intimate singer-songwriter shows when they take the time to explain the background to their songs. One story in particular that stood out was when he explained the origin to “Hey Larocco,” which was a situation that eventually set him on the road to becoming a musician.
This was one of those shows where you left the work week at the door, sat back with a nice glass of wine and some food, and were entertained by some relaxing yet thought-provoking music. Throughout the night, Baxter would ask if anyone had any requests. It turned out that the majority of the songs the audience shouted out were ones he’d already planned to perform. Rayland was impressed that everyone had done their homework and really knew his material.
For those of you who have been waiting for new music, there is an album set for release sometime later this year, possibly around September. Baxter explained he’d already recorded it so his part is all done and it is currently being mixed. We will certainly be keeping an eye out for that one!
What’s better than a great singer-songwriter? That’s right, two singer-songwriters! To round out the evening, Theo returned to the stage to perform alongside Rayland. Their harmonies and the two-guitar setup worked perfectly.
This has been a very limited run of dates but here’s hoping there’ll be more to come once the new album is out. Since the majority of these dates have taken place at various City Wineries, Rayland has become very knowledgable of their menu. Top tip: he highly recommends the kale salad.
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