If you’ve been around on the internet for a while, chances are you’ve heard of Johnnie Guilbert. If you’re unfamiliar, Johnnie is an American singer-songwriter, influencer, and digital content creator. He’s had a widespread influence on the alternative goth scene, and as a musician, he’s very well known for being open and honest about his struggles through his music, which helps fans from many walks of life connect with what he writes. Needless to say, I was thrilled when I saw the show announcement for Columbus, Ohio. 

On this eleven-stop tour, he brought along artist Chandler Leighton, whom I was previously unfamiliar with. But after watching her performance, I understood exactly why she was picked for this tour.

Aesthetically, she’s the polar opposite of Johnnie, with two band members— drummer Sage Weeber and bassist Aubrey Harris— being completely decked out in shimmering jackets and cheetah print pants, not to mention Chandler’s iconic bright red hair and punk jacket. Visually speaking, I was enraptured by her performance, my eyes dancing around the stage, watching every reflection. Technically speaking, I was blown away by her ability to have fun with her songs. Constantly doing fun fences and interacting with the crowd and her band members made her an unforgettable show to witness. Plus, her bassist, Aubrey Harris, can deliver one hell of a performance, playing while jumping and kicking alongside her singer. 

After that lively performance, Johnnie Guilbert came out on stage, and the crowd went crazy. I must preface this with the fact that Skully’s Music Diner was packed. I don’t know if I’ve ever been to a show at the venue with that many people. To my surprise, a lot of the audience was much younger in age than I anticipated, having a young girl’s birthday party being front and center.

Johnnie’s performance was interesting from an outsider’s perspective. Being the photographer, you get to see almost every angle of a show, and this one was no exception. I really liked the animation graphics displayed behind him as Johnnie sang through original songs, along with a few famous cover songs that the crowd seemed to love.

The only bittersweet part of his concert was the crowd interaction. Johnnie is a kind soul, and you can tell he cares about his fans the way he was interacting and taking phones to record selfies on fans’ phones. The problem that stems from this is that it becomes a nuisance for people trying to enjoy the performance. At several points during the night, I had people blocking my view, waving their phones to try and get his attention, and during multiple points, I could see more phones in sight than I could faces. I think there is a balance between enjoying the moment and being able to record memories for later, and for me, this show leaned too much one way.

Overall, there were many sweet moments and riveting vocal sections that made this concert enjoyable for me, and I left this show adding more than a few songs to my daily playlists. And I’m forever adding “Creep” to my karaoke song ideas. 

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Follow CHANDLER LEIGHTON | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC

Follow JOHNNIE GUILBERT | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC