Bringing his alternative indie-pop tunes and confessional charm to Toronto, Jake Minch performed in the Drake Underground on March 8th, 2025. As the opener for Grace Enger's invigorating "It's So Fun" tour, Jake ignited a spark in the crowd that warmed up the night. He came out onto the stage and opened with a soft acoustic guitar picking pattern sounded before delving into the lyrics of his original song, "strip mall". Expressive vocals, nearly speak-singing at parts of the song, gave a comforting feeling as Jake merged into other original songs and his only cover of the night: a beautiful rendition of Phoebe Bridger's song "Funeral".
It's truly incredible what deep lyrical storytelling and soothing guitar melodies can do to an audience, offering a captivating musical journey. Quite simple in presentation with a stool, microphone, and black Takamine guitar against a plain white T-shirt, the show took audiences through complex worlds of feeling through music and Jake's authentic charm. The Connecticut-based singer spoke to the crowd, garnering a few laughs about a long line at a pizza place and other notable Toronto-isms, before diving into his song "jessie". A palm-muted sound and resonant picking pattern invigorated the venue as progressive volume and vocal passion emerged throughout the song. Matching the power of his beautifully raw and throaty singing, Jake strummed his guitar with an immersive force to end the song.
Through witty and honest commentary interspersed between the songs, we got a look into Jake's songwriting mind. He even shared "I told a lot of people who this was about" when before playing a personal unreleased song about sibling conflict as an adult, with meaningful delves into reminiscing and difficult facts of life. His evocative singing and pronounced strumming infused the air with a bittersweet swirl of memory and loss. The way his vocals and instrumentals ranged in tune, tone, and volume was a captivating display of emotion. Aptly describing his next tune in the lineup, Jake introduced "a song about cigarettes and the smell of cigarettes and crushes". This song "fingers and clothes" carried a whimsical air that had Jake's body moving with the jaunty pattern of the chorus. At the end of the song, Jake cracked up laughing and the audience was right there with him, enjoying the upbeat spirit of the show.
When Jake played his song "handgun", the venue lit up and sung along. The way the words take you into a place of memory and closeness through the verse before delving into the questioning of the chorus feels extremely relatable and natural. With audience voices joining in, the Underground filled with a feeling of understanding at the lyrics "the worst part of growing up is learning how young you are." There is something so genuine about that line and the emotions it evokes, so much so that it elicited cheers from the crowd. After hitting hard with that emotional, introspective tune, Jake lightened the mood, saying "I have one upbeat song, and this is that one song."
With slightly percussive guitar and soft vocals, he performed "whose you are", an uplifting song infused with self-love and optimism for those you love. His song explored how romance can lift you up with emotional, gritty, and wholehearted voicings of powerful lyrics like "there is so much more to life". The front row was literally jumping along. Closing his set with the first song he wrote, one that came to him in a dream, called "when i walk you home". With a floaty, airy, and intimate atmosphere, Jake's soft vocals and deliberate guitar marked a warm end to his performance.
Following Jake Minch's opening performance, Grace Enger took the stage, with her electric and powerful vocals supported by bold percussion, piano, electric guitar, and her own guitar talents. Moving passionately through her songs, many of which were from her latest EP, "The Alchemist", she put on an immersive performance all the while ensuring the audience was happy, healthy, and taken care of, kindly checking in on a fan through a fainting spell before delving back into the show. Her music filled the Underground with energy, as the crowd sung and danced with her invigorating set. This concert truly fulfilled my indie music palate with Jake Minch's performance starting off the night on a intimate indie-pop note, then diving into Grace Enger's freeing indie pop-rock sound.
Written By Hanna Kowal
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