The first show I covered with Twin Cities Media a little over a year ago was an up and coming boy band called Why Don’t We. At the time I thought, this may be the only time I am caught at a pop show of this kind, and then it slipped from memory. Fast forward and in early 2018 I decided what better way to celebrate an anniversary than to revisit times gone by and see another pop show. Jake Miller, a name that sounds incredibly familiar yet I could not pin. All which makes sense when I dug further into Jake’s career and learned he is a singer but also an actor and model. Not only that but from what I saw at The Entry he’s doing well at that trifecta it would seem.
But before the night’s main heart throb hit the stage came heart throb opener Devin Hayes. Devin walked on stage and I swore maybe I had set times wrong and that THIS was the opener. Phones flew into the air, voice squealed, and first row comments flew about how nice a butt Devin had. To which he replied without missing a beat ” I don’t have one but that’s nice thank you, it’s a family curse”. Touche Devin, touche. Glad to have you in our backside deficient club. Now, back on point.
One of my favorites tracks from Devin’s opening set had to be I Don’t Need You. I am clearly late to that party if the comments on this song’s YouTube video are any indication of fan love. But it was the strongest moment of Devin’s set and probably one of the last time I had enough room to move in the sold out Entry. I stepped outside for some fresh air and when I came back inside, the Entry was packed. What I learned it meant, Devin and Jake have some passionate fans and I was reminded every time I moved to take shots closer to the stage and found nowhere to go unless I was willing to crush some teenage fans. And since the fans are the reason we are doing this, I tune out the inner photographer voice that wanted to push it’s way to the front row.
Part II of the evenings sold out heart throb show and the main event entered as I climbed my way back from the main room to the Entry. Jake Miller walked on stage after a brief intro from Devin where we learned Jake had visited the hospital over an illness. Where he was told not to perform for 3 days, to which he shared with the crowd in so many words…no way that is happening. On came Jake and the crowd went crazy. Photos being taken left and right, cheers piercing, and Jake took off.
Jake is another unexpected artist this year I have seen and once again I wasn’t sure what to be expecting. This wasn’t One Direction but I knew to expect pop and a sort of EDM vocals mood. There was One Direction covers this night, I have to make note of that because going back and forth from a rock show to pop singers was blowing my mind. I digress. Jake’s energy and charisma from being a model and actor in addition to singing became evident almost immediately.
Front row fans reached out to touch hands with Jake and by the second song it was full arm raising sing alongs. Which is impressive to say the least with how new to the music scene Jake and Devin are. The best comparison I can give is Devin and Jake do take a little something from the One Direction vibe but they reminded me greatly of the sound I heard with Morgxn whom opened for Pheobe Ryan some months back. Catchy chorus, jumpy beats and sounds, with plenty of crowd love. Both of these guys I’ll be watching for their name on more EDM tracks for sure in the next year.
