Jhariah takes on his biggest hometown show yet with TRUST CEREMONY

2 years after the release of TRUST CEREMONY, this summer Jhariah and his band take on a North American Tour in celebration of the album. TRUST CEREMONY serves as a burst of emotional reflection of the many stages throughout his life. 5 years poured in recording and the labor of love all packaged in one breathtaking album. This all culminated into an electrifying night during Jhariah’s hometown show June 23rd at the Bowery Ballroom in New York! 

From waiting in line everyone was pumped for what the night had in store, this would be the first time Jhariah performs in New York in two years leading to much anticipation. Fans got a chance to listen to the album live from beginning to end with some older and new songs sprinkled in between. 

Jhariah and the band started off with the opening track of the album “TOOTH PACT”, the song itself served as a build up to what was yet to come. This would transition into “SASUKE” the crowd was thrusted into an energetic performance, also my personal favorite from the album. The concert just started but Jhariah’s stage presence puts the crowd at an all time high “BIGSHOT” would follow alongside “DEBT COLLECTOR” a classic from one of his earlier albums. 

Being at the barricade was such an exhilarating experience, seeing the mic swing back and forth towards me as he kicked and danced around, his excitement bouncing around the venue. Seeing Jhariah also interact with the band members in between each song was also fun. The band interacted with the crowd throughout the entire show adding to such a memorable performance. 

As “Pressure Bomb 3?!?!” began to play, I felt my throat burn as the crowd and I belted out the lyrics. The song itself has three versions symbolizing different phases in his life, exploding  in raw emotion. Hearing this song live hit me so hard, I found myself tearing up the whole time. The energy would continue going strong during “MAYBE LATER DANCE”.

Jhariah would then take a moment to have a chat with the crowd, reflecting how this has got to be his biggest hometown headliner show yet. He talked briefly on the ups and downs that come with being an artist, one could say, hard times. This would transition into “Hard Times” by Paramore covered by Jhariah. This was a big surprise to the audience and myself making it one of my favorite moments of the show. The night continued with classics such as his popular track “RISK, RISK, RISK!” and “The View from Halfway Down”. 

Fans would get another lovely surprise, with Jhariah revealing his new song “LEAD”, describing the song as how it feels to go mad when creating art and getting lost in the process. Following up was the gut wrenching “CONTROL BABY” hearing him belt out the lyrics tore up my soul. The vibe grew slower with “RUSSIAN DOLL” allowing for a stronger emotional impact with its melancholy vibes. 

Just as the vibes continued to remain somber, Jhariah would ramp out the energy once again creating one of the best moments of the night with “RE:CONCERNS”. A climax of messy, chaotic emotions, the floor began to open up as people began to enter the mosh pit, Jhariah himself would also jump in, running and pushing with the crowd. Everyone letting out their pent up feelings in such a striking performance. “FIRE4FUN”, “COLLARBONE” and “PIN-EYE” would continue on as we almost reached the end of the album.

The night almost came to an end Jhariah would reflect once again with a performance of “Sunsets (Resilience)” a song he wrote at 16, a testament to how far he’s come as an artist. Jhariah also would talk about how amazing it is for everyone to come together and create a safe space during this show advocating the importance of supporting one another especially with everything going on in the world. The crowd would chant together in support for trans rights and immigrant communities creating such a moving moment for many in the crowd that night. 

The show would begin to draw to a close with “Flight of the Crows” leading to one big finale with the song “TRUST CEREMONY” the final song in the album. Seeing Jhariah and the band jump around as the crowd sang alongside, it felt like a true celebration of the album that impacted many others and myself, a truly magical way to end the show. 

Seeing Jhariah live for the first time was a show that I will never forget, his stage presence creating a memorable experience for not just myself but the many who saw themselves in the celebration that is TRUST CEREMONY.