Hailing from Phoenix, Arizona, Jared & The Mill consists of front man Jared Kolesar with Michael Carter, Larry Gast III, Chuck Morriss III and Josh Morin. The show at Lincoln Hall may not have been sold out, but the room was still full of intense energy!  Although we were in Chicago, I felt like I was in the heart of Nashville.  They were able to combine a country vibe with twangy guitar backed by a banjo with hard rock.  My favorite song from thet set was “Keep Me Going,” one of their old songs, but also one of their hits.  They played a good amount of songs from their latest release This Story Is No Longer Available as well. Between songs, Jared talked about how that album is really what defines the band.

Towards the middle of the set, Jared gave a speech about how he grew up with religion but could never find his place. Instead, he found his place in music.  The band then played a song acapella in the middle of the crowd.  It was a great moment of belonging and community.  Although it was my first time seeing them live, I could not recommend Jared & The Mill enough.

Review and photos by Mike Jahn