Jon Bellion – The Met – Philadelphia, PA – June 12, 2019 (A PopEntertainment.com Concert Review)

Updated: Jun 20, 2022

Jon Bellion, Marc E. Bassy & Lawrence – The Met – Philadelphia, PA – June 12, 2019

New York native Jon Bellion played the first night of the Glory Sound Prep World Tour to The Met in Philadelphia. The sold-out show was incredible. Alongside him on tour, Bellion brought Lawrence and Marc E. Bassy to open the shows.

Lawrence is a soul-pop band from New York City, led by brother and sister Clyde and Gracie Lawrence. The two siblings were joined by saxophones, trumpets, percussion, bass, and guitars. Their soul-based sound is a unique noise in the music industry and is portrayed very well through their upbeat live performance.

This being the first night of tour, the energy was unlike any live performance I’ve seen in a while. Clearly excited and grateful to be on tour with Bellion, there wasn’t a moment where anyone on stage wasn’t smiling. Not only is the band on tour with Jon, but they announced the release of a song together. Expected on June 21st, the song “Casualty,” was worked on by Lawrence and Jon Bellion. Overall, the band was a fantastic choice for an opening act.

Their infectious energy got the crowd moving and prepared for second act, Marc E. Bassy. Bassy is a singer-songwriter from San Francisco. The hip-hop/pop artist was very different, compared to Lawrence. However, he equally brought the same amount of excitement to the audience. His rap-based songs were a smooth switchover. Giving a passionate performance, Bassy also had a unique sound, especially for a hip-hop artist. He was a fantastic performer to lead up to Bellion’s set.

The time finally came as Jon Bellion’s band starting walking on to stage. Sound bites from the album were played on the sample machine anticipating Bellion’s arrival. He walked out and stood on the center of the raised stage. In the dark, his navy-blue tour jacket had lights which outlined his arms so we could still see where he stood.

Beginning his set with the song “JT,” Bellion amped up the crowd getting them ready for what was in store. Smiles radiated from his face, contagiously getting others in the crowd to return the smiles in awe. HIs smooth movements and dances to ‘JT’ was to be described as nothing other than groovy. After “JT,” the navy-blue jacket came off, and he began “Let’s Begin.”

Mostly performing songs from the new album Glory Sound Prep, Bellion didn’t perform more than a few songs off of his Human Condition album. I love his that album and wish he performed more songs from the record. This being my second Jon Bellion show, I can say he is one of the best live performers I have seen. Bellion definitely knows how to put on a show, between song choices and movements, he is a pro.

Overall, if you ever have the chance to see a Jon Bellion show, do it. You’ll never forget the experience. After the North American leg of the tour, Bellion is heading to Norway to finish the rest of the world tour, which ends in New Zealand in November. I would recommend anyone interested in pop, hip-hop, or alternative music, to listen to Jon’s albums.

Maria Gilles