Jake Wesley Rogers’ Peace, Love & Pluto Tour

Magic and Emotion

Date: April 5th, 2023

Venue: Union Stage

Washington, DC

Jake. Wesley. Rogers. How do you capture the magic, the talent, the fashion, and the force that is Jake Wesley Rogers in writing? Well, that’s pretty damn hard if we’re being honest because he’s beyond amazing and with no doubt an artist you’ll be seeing and hearing from for years. What’s up everyone, Derek here, back with another amazing night of music in Washington, DC. From the very first moment that I heard his song “Momentary” back in 2021, I knew this was a true artist and someone destined to become a huge star. Since then, I’ve made it my mission to make sure people know of this spectacle of a human and eagerly awaited the moment to see him live. 

He has now embarked on his first headlining tour across the nation, but he’s no stranger to D.C., as years ago he was performing small intimate shows much like those of Sofar sounds and just last October found himself here while on his first tour as he opened for Panic! At the Disco!. Think about that for a moment. His first tour was in arenas while opening for an act as large as PATD. It’s clear that his talent is beyond measure and once people took notice they too immediately recognized his light shining bright. His extravagant wardrobe and presence on stage often find him being compared to Sir Elton John, and let’s be honest, that’s a huge compliment and a great omen. Sir Elton John himself has called Rogers “the bastard child of himself and Brandi Carlile” and that’s a great way to describe him. Rogers is unapologetically himself on stage and in his songs and speaking your truth and celebrating who you are is so important in music and Rogers excels at it. His shows find themselves now sold out as his fan bases grow larger every single day, the shows also hold true to Rogers’ beliefs and act as a safe space for his fans. Come as you are, be who you are, love who you love.  The world needs love now more than ever and Rogers gives love to the world while also receiving it in full from his fans. 

DC’s show was both extraordinary and a bit unique. He made the grandest of entrances to get the night started dressed in yellow ruffles to the sounds of “Middle of Love,” while dancing around and upon his seat at his keyboard. With the energy came a bit of a technical hiccup that Rogers was able to handle with great ease and poise as his bandmates tried to resolve the tech that adds a bit of a backing track to the live band which provides a little extra musical texture. While the “straight people” as Rogers says, fixed the tech, Rogers held an impromptu tea time with his fans as he poured them some of his personal tea, then decided to give the crowd a song that’s not been on the setlist this tour with “Modern Love”. Immediately proving that he doesn’t need fancy technology because his vocals and talent shine in raw form. Shortly after a lively performance of “Weddings and Funerals” complete with a quick on-stage wardrobe change as he took off the ruffles, it was time for a truly stripped-back moment as Roger was left alone on stage for a moment that would typically occur later in the set. He sat at his piano, and we listened intently as he began to share a story. A story of his first love and ultimately the inspiration behind “Jacob from the Bible” as he shared the personal journey of thoughts at that time in his life and how DC was one of the first to hear it years ago during a SoFar performance. The story however did come with a somber end as Rogers shared with us that the gentleman by the name also of Jacob passed away not long ago. Rogers then dedicated the song to Jacob and to all the ones “we love and miss” while reminding us that while it may take a while, it does get better. He then proceeded to perform the song that even in writing still gives me goosebumps.

Speaking of memorable moments, there were plenty of them this evening. From the crowd connected sing along found in the powerful “Momentary”. As the evening continued we were graced with additional proper wardrobe changes and even some new music. Growing up in Missouri, Rogers mentioned his time in the bible belt and his eagerness to get away, but now reflecting back on things there was also good to balance the bad and that’s the underlying theme in his new song “Hot Gospel” which to nobody’s surprise is absolutely amazing and I can’t wait for you to hear it. In addition, we got another new song named “Happy Accident” as Rogers played acoustic guitar and we chanted along with him, as far as the song, well I guess you’ll just have to wait and see if it’s one that you can expect on his upcoming debut album. 

There are some shows you walk away from knowing you just experienced something special and this was certainly one of those. From his energetic close with “Hindsight” and a trip to “Pluto” to his unique encore which featured a spoken word piece titled “I Am.” There wasn’t a single moment of the evening that didn’t feel magical. So be sure to stay tuned for more new music and keep an eye out for upcoming tour dates or performances throughout the year. In the DC area? Jake will be returning this summer as part of the Out & About Festival featuring Brandi Carlile and many others on June 24th and 25th. 

Joining Rogers on this tour is Stacey Ryan. While many may know her from her viral prompt to finish her song “Don’t Text Me When You’re Drunk” in early 2022, she’s also just released her debut EP I Don’t Know What Love Is on April 7th. The EP features her latest single “Deep End” and you can experience the vocal talents of Ryan on this tour and as she performs around the globe this year. 

See the full gallery of the night here

If you happened to capture any shots of the night, feel free to tag us on social media at Shutter 16 Magazine and throw in #Shutter16 and #TwitFromThePit for the world to see.