Jens Kuross
Idahoian singer-songwriter Jens Kuross sat down at his lone piano, the stage swallowing him. The crowd hushed in anticipation, many admittedly never having heard of him. But man, were we blown away. Kuross’s sound is smooth and soft, floating around you like a feather. Despite the “lack” of concert antics, it was hard to not be enamored by the man on stage. His musical and energetic presence is larger than his physical scenery. He plays his piano with a passion most reminiscent of a classical pianist. His voice sits perfectly with each note. While listening to him, I felt transported to a different world. One that felt like cares drifting and life being enjoyed – genuinely. Simplicity does not equal boring nor less than; Kuross proves that.
Palace
The men, the myths, the legends, the rockstars. Palace took the stage, guitar strums and drum pounding filling the Van Buren, failing to drown out the cheers. As a fan, my eyes filled with joy as I watched the band take to their instruments. “Goodnight, Farewell” felt like TV static live – in the best way! Guitarist and vocalist Leo Wyndham has a way about him while he’s on stage; softly demanding your eyes to watch him while never feeling overpowering. He’s cheerful at moments, and deeply in love with the music he plays. You can see it in his body and the way he moves as he plays, it’s beautiful. The band plays together, seemingly as if their instruments are holding hands. It’s not often that a band sounds better live, but Palace absolutely does. Especially with a crowd pleaser like “Live Well”. They played on the Van Buren stage like they lived there. They were comfortable and absolutely incredible.
