Not every year ends on a high note. I’ve had my share of year-end disappointments; 2024 is not one of those years. Stephen Wilson Jr.’s recent show at Sixth and I is the last show I had schedule to cover for the year. It seems like 2024 saved the best for last. In a year of amazing shows, this was one of the very best.

I had never covered a show at Sixth and I, so I didn’t know what to expect. All I knew was that it was a synagogue that had transformed into a live venue.

If I’m going to be completely honest, I’m really not sure what I was expecting for any part of this entire evening on Dec. 14. I was new to Stephen Wilson Jr.’s music, was not familiar with the opener, and had no idea what the venue was going to be like. I think I was more surprised that Sixth and I looked like a synagogue than if it had been completely reconfigured. It is a very unique experience. We entered the performance space and there were still pews!

The other surprise was how good the opening act, Bre Kennedy, was. She came out on stage accompanied only by her good friend and keyboardist, Hadley Kenary. They played a beautiful set filled with delightful stories about the songs she was playing like one of the tales she told about her grandmother. One of Bre’s songs, “The Vase,” was featured on Grey’s Anatomy. She told her grandmother about it and called her after the episode aired. She asked her grandmother what she thought of it. She replied that she couldn’t hear a damned thing!

When Stephen Wilson Jr. emerged onstage, everything was drenched in red light. He walked around, trying to take everything in. This was the final show of his 2024 tour, and I got the feeling that he wanted to soak in every bit of it.

Stephen Wilson Jr.’s music is classified as country but it seems to go in two different directions. He plays a gut-string acoustic with distortion and his main influences are Willie Nelson, John Melloncamp, Kurt Cobain, and Bruce Springsteen. Check out the video for his touching tribute to his father here.

Watch the official music video for “Father’s Son” by Stephen Wilson Jr. on YouTube:

Wilson’s grunge influence came shining through immediately as he began the show with the first verse of “Stars” by the alternative band Hum. I loved his music prior to this show but that won him a special place in my heart! He was accompanied by Scotty Murray on steel guitar, Julan Dorio on drums, and Miles Burger on all kinds of bass. They were definitely in tour shape by the time they got to DC. They sounded so tight!

Stephen’s lyrics tell incredibly descriptive stories. Fortunately, he tells more stories in between songs. He talked about growing up in southern Indiana, going to a pentecostal church and seeing an exorcism of a drywall guy. He saw him at the grocery store later that day and wondered if they got the demon.

One of the highlights was the story he told about his father. Stephen left a job as a scientist to write music. But he didn’t want to be a performer. He wrote songs that have been recorded by Tim McGraw, Trace Adkins, and more. But his dad always wanted him to perform. He would tell him, “No, I don’t do that”. When his father passed, he received $3,333.33 of life insurance that he used to record his first single, “The Devil.” These kind of sincere, personal interactions with the crowd happened all night.

After eight songs, the band departed and Stephen performed a short, solo set of Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me” and his own song about his father, “Father’s Son.” When the band returned to the stage, they jumped right into the song Year To Be Young 1994, which somehow blends country with ’90s alternative.

Bre Kennedy joined Stephen and the band for his duet, “American Gothic.” That was one of my favorite parts of the night. Bre was a bit reserved in her own set but really let loose here. She was bouncing around stage, headbanging, and singing up a storm. The interplay with Stephen was magical.

The band played a couple more songs before wrapping up the set. But they weren’t gone long. Stephen returned, alone, and sang an unreleased number called “I’m A Song.” It’s a beautiful, touching song. The band reappeared to play another unreleased song called “Gary.” It’s about all the Gary’s you call when you need something fixed. The world definitely needs more Garys.

Performing at Sixth & I made an impression on Stephen. He quipped that this was the best show he’s ever performed in a synagogue. The crowd was wonderful, erupting into cheers and applause after every song. That wasn’t lost on Stephen, either. He remarked that the crowd was so great, maybe he should just play synagogues. The show was sold out but felt like Stephen was speaking just to you. He played a lot of songs from his 22-song debut, Son of Dad. The show ended with the last song from the album, “The Beginning.”

I’ve seen so many great shows this year. This one was possibly the best. I’m glad I had the opportunity to see Stephen Wilson Jr. play in a smaller venue before he explodes. Because he’s going to. And I’ll be at any show he plays in the area.

Setlist

First Set:

• Stars (Hum)
• Calico Creek
• Billy
• Cuckoo
• Twisted
• Patches
• The Devil
• Not Letting Go

Solo Set

• Stand By Me (Ben E King)
• Father’s Son

Second Set

• Year To Be Young 1994
• American Gothic (w/Bre Kennedy)
• Hometown
• Holler From The Holler

Encore

• I’m A Song
• Gary
• The Beginning

Here are some more photos of Stephen Wilson Jr. performing at Sixth & I on Dec. 14, 2024. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Marc Shea.