By: Kayla Middleton
On March 1st, singer-songwriter Mitch Rowland transported the audience in The Heights Theater back to the 70s with his melodic, folky songs that captured everyone’s hearts and ears for this stop on his headlining tour. The multi-instrumentalist Ohio native is no stranger to the stage. He may seem familiar, as he is known for being a co-writer and touring guitarist for Harry Styles, but as he paves his way in the industry with his newly released solo album, Mitch has garnered critical acclaim for his personal work. Mitch and his band, including his wife Sarah Jones on the drums, played an intimate and heartwarming set to the tunes of Come June that had the crowd wanting more.
The night opened with Harris Harper, and the mood for the night was instantly set with her beautiful set filled with acoustic guitar and sweet-toned vocals. As Harris exited the stage, the building began to build anticipation for Mitch’s entrance. Minutes passed, and soon after, the house music dimmed, and Mitch and his band took the stage. The set of the stage played perfectly into the musical journey Mitch was taking the audience on. The rugs and casually placed guitars, along with the drawn snail banner used as a backdrop, made the show feel like we were watching our hometown band play their best songs live.
The night started off with See The Way You Roll, Bluebells, and On The Line. The audience sang and swayed along to the euphonious sounds of Come June live. The shy and soft-spoken persona of the artist was instantly relinquished as soon as he sang the first notes of each of his songs. The night played on with songs such as Goes With Everything, All The Way Back, and Medium Low. Mitch even played a new, unreleased song for his fans. The talent of the band didn’t go unnoticed because, with each song, the audience's applause grew louder and louder as Mitch made his way down the setlist.
As the night rounded out, Mitch introduced his band, and when he reached the intro for Sarah, the crowd began to ‘bark’, paying homage to their Love On Tour days, as Sarah was also a touring musician with Styles. The set closed with Here Comes The Comeback and Come June. He left the stage, but the crowd wanted more from the band. As they cheered for an encore, Mitch and the band re-took the stage, beers in hand, ready for the encore song. He played Oh! Sweet Nuthin’, a cover from The Velvet Underground that perfectly wrapped up the night of harmonious music.
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