No stage fright, just stage flight for Evan Honer at the 9:30 Club

Evan Honer sure knows how to make an entrance.

At 7:20 p.m. on May 3, the Arizona singer-songwriter cartwheeled and backflipped his way onto center stage at the 9:30 Club. It was familiar stunt for Honer, who spent his early years as a competitive diver and gymnast before briefly appearing on American Idol, where judges told him to “stick to diving.” On Saturday night, his sold-out show proved just how wrong they were.

The evening began with a set from singer-songwriter Barrett, whose commanding vocals and stripped-down arrangements quickly drew the attention of the room. Early in his set, Honer joined him to perform “Evergreen Lover,” a song the two co-wrote. Their collaborative performance, marked by tight harmonies and mutual ease, highlighted a musical chemistry that extended beyond the studio.

When Honer returned for his headlining set, he launched into “Everything I Wanted,” followed by “Nowhere Fast,” both songs underscoring his mix of earnest songwriting and pop-inflected folk instrumentation. Throughout the night, Honer maintained a dynamic stage presence, often trading riffs with guitarist Shane Travis and moving continuously around the stage—dancing, clapping, and engaging directly with the audience.

There was a looseness to his performance that never felt careless, just honest and fully present. Early in the set, songs like “Scared to Love Again” and “Wake up, Come Down” introduced themes of mental health, identity, and personal loss. The tone deepened mid-set when Honer introduced “Brother,” a song about his own brother’s experience with schizoaffective disorder.

Honer also incorporated two covers into the set: The Cranberries’ “Linger" and Tyler Childers’ "Jersey Giant." Both were met with strong crowd participation, but they didn't overshadow his original material—particularly fan favorites like “Take Me As I Come” and the newly-released “At My Expense,” which drew some of the loudest singalongs of the night.

When the house lights stayed down after the final song, fans didn’t hesitate. Honer returned to the stage with a grin, closing the night with "Mr. Meyers" and hot-off-the-press "Better Off Lonely."

For a night that started with a backflip, Evan Honer managed to stick the landing just as gracefully—with a performance full of heart, humor, and a deep connection to the full house of fans who showed up to listen.