In celebration of the release of his 2023 studio album, A Grey Area, JP Saxe has embarked on a World Tour. From Vancouver to New York to Dublin, fans will get to sing along to the soulful pop music of the singer-songwriter.
On March 6, Boston embraced JP Saxe and his opener Justin Nozuka.
Justin opened the show with an emotionally raw and powerful performance. Shadowed Rembrandt lighting artfully lit the “After Tonight” singer as he serenaded the audience with selections from his nearly two decade career.
“It’s been so cold in this venue all day, but you guys feel so warm,” Nozuka graciously thanked the crowd before wrapping the chill set. This welcoming energy overflowed into JP Saxe’s vibrant performance.
For his 24 song set, JP invited the Royale into a paint splattered, living room vignette. Surrounded by scattered lamps and framed sepia prints, JP painted stories of falling deeply, and hopelessly in and out of love.
The visuals and the intimate venue, made the night feel like a get together with old friends. One moment, JP was reminiscing with his guitarist TJ about how they met in the 9th grade. Then somehow, 20 years had passed and he’s an uncle who adores his nephew Percy, so much so, that he rearranged his set list so Percy could hear his favorite song before bedtime.
“Thank you for making us feel so very home, when we’re so far away from home,” the Toronto native shared from behind a paint splattered piano.
It wasn’t just the stories that made the show feel so familiar, it was also the music, each song a reflection of the human experience. “If The World Was Ending” brought Boston back to 2019, while newer releases like “Ok, Anyway,” a letter to fifteen year old JP, healed their inner child.
While performing “Fear & Intuition,” JP paused to ask the crowd to help him write a second chorus that reflected Boston. A testament to his talent, JP wrote a new second verse on the spot and managed to rhyme “get drunk” and “Yankees Suck,” much to the delight of Red Sox Nation.
JP’s song, “For Emilee” also prompted an open dialogue between JP and the audience. “If you are here with a friend that you think is accepting a version of love that is just not nearly good enough for them, please call them the f*ck out right now,” he told the crowd.
After creating such a sincere connection with the audience, JP felt compelled to inform them of the impending obligatory encore, “It feels disingenuous to end the set on a lie,” he explained.
As the night wrapped up, and JP and the crowd had to go their separate ways, the crowd sang to JP, “…And I’m still a little bit yours,” to which JP responded, “I certainly am Boston.”
To purchase a ticket to ‘A Grey Area World Tour,’ visit https://jpsaxe.com/.
Amelia Cordischi, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Juice Box Press, is an accomplished digital marketing professional with over a decade of experience in media and communications. Her work has been featured in notable publications, including The Boston Globe. A communications graduate of Simmons University in Boston, Amelia served as manager of Simmons College Radio (“The Shark”), where she also launched and co-hosted her radio show, The Find.
In addition to her editorial work, Amelia is an established freelance photographer, with bylines in Blended Magazine and CelebMix, capturing artists and cultural moments across the music and media landscape. Her career began at WCVB-TV’s Chronicle, the ABC affiliate in Boston, where she gained firsthand experience in broadcast journalism and storytelling.
When she’s not taking photos from the photo pit, interviewing emerging artists, or crafting the next Juice Box Press feature, Amelia can be found thrifting and exploring the world of sustainable fashion.