Jake Kohn and Zac Townsend Fill Brightbox in Winchester To The Brim
Brightbox is a venue name I’ve heard bounced around a bit locally but I hadn’t been before tonight. I step in out of the bitter cold of the Winchester walking mall into the warmth of Brightbox Theatre. Warm in temperature and in hospitality, I’m greeted immediately by welcoming staff who are extremely helpful in getting me into the venue. Just in time, too, as soon as I wade through the massive crowd and find a spot where I can see the stage, it’s time for the show to start.
By the way, when I say massive crowd, I mean MASSIVE crowd. Brightbox, while gorgeous and cozy, is not a very big place. The standing room area is not quite enough to house the massive draw that Jake & Zac have brought in tonight, some people are standing out in the lobby staring in through the doors at the stage. Jake Kohn is coming home to Winchester after playing the Grand Ole Opry AND signing a contract with Atlantic Records backstage there. Needless to say, the crowd is stoked to be here no matter where they’re watching from.
Zac Townsend is introduced and takes the stage. He’s accompanied by Chris Sprankle, “West Virginia’s Harmonica Boogeyman”. A strange nickname, I know, but this guy can play the harmonica like no one else I’ve ever seen. Zac begins his set with “Shenandoah Deep”, the full crowd stands in silence peering up at him as he strums his guitar and sings. Country isn’t really my cup of tea but there’s something different about a select few local artists, Zac being one of them.
Toward the end of his set, he plays a tune titled “Dear Brother”, which he penned about a close friend who is no longer with us. It was a gorgeous song, and the dedication was touching. Zac and Chris play in perfect harmony with each other, Chris often looking over at Zac with a pensive expression. I grabbed a shot of Zac and Chris gazing out into the room filled with fans, the stage lights beaming like stars.
Zac wraps up his set with his song, “Story Pole”, another slow-paced and somewhat sorrowful tune. (I’ll be honest, I have a soft spot for these.) He thanks the crowd and hypes them up for the next act, the one and only Jake Kohn. There’s a short intermission where the crowd takes the opportunity to chat amongst themselves and hit the lobby for drinks and merch. Before I know it, it’s time for Jake to grace the stage.
He’s introduced as “The Middletown Maverick” and “The Apple Orchard Assassin”, but I know him best as Jake Kohn (pronounced like cone). He comes out in a long-sleeved button-up, blue jeans, and cowboy boots. His setlist is scrawled onto a torn-off piece of cardboard. He jokes a bit with the crowd while he tunes up his guitar before he kicks things off. He first plays a favorite of mine, “Lorraine”. This kid (I say that lovingly, but he’s only 16 if you can believe it) writes all of his own music. His voice is raspy and aged far beyond he is.
Someone in the crowd has what sounds like a cowbell-type noisemaker that they rattle between songs, followed by some hell yeahs and wooing. The crowd adores this kid, and it’s evident in the way they stare admirably at him as he performs. Jake plays a couple of covers tonight, totally nailing the one I love the most, “The Ballad of Curtis Loew”. I’ve seen him cover this once before at a now-closed venue down the street, The Monument. This is his father’s favorite song and that’s why Jake has it on his setlist. What a sweetheart, seriously.
“Junk” is on the setlist also, which is another Jake Kohn original I enjoy. It’s a song about being a broken person. “Just a bunch of broken pieces, a junk kinda guy” I believe it goes. Not that I wasn’t paying attention, I was just so wrapped up in his performance. It’s difficult not to be, if you’ve ever seen him live I’m sure you’d agree. Jake also has a buddy hop on stage with him to add harmonica to a song, I caught the tail end of it when I was coming back from the restroom. Whoops.
Last but certainly not least, Jake gives the crowd what they’ve been waiting for. “Frostbite”. This song just dropped on streaming services, it’s his first official music release and man is it a hit. People all over the world have been begging this guy to put something on streaming services and it finally happened. We’ve been eating it up, seriously. I put down my camera for this one and let myself fully enjoy the song in all of its glory. Jake sings from his soul and exhibits such emotion through his expressions as he croons.
The audience roars and claps as “Frostbite” ends and Jake thanks us for coming. I take a moment to watch as everyone begins to crowd near the stage to talk to Jake before I head back out into the cold to my car. I hustle back to the parking garage before I get “Frostbite”.
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