evan Honer Live at the underground

On Monday, June 15th, Evan Honer brought his folky charm-filled summer tour to The Underground in Charlotte, NC, with support from Thomas Rowland, frontman of the South Carolina indie-rock band Winyah, who's also one of Honer's longtime co-writing collaborators. Honer is known for his indie-folk storytelling with deep confessional lyrics that are guaranteed to pull at your heartstrings while simultaneously leaving everyone stomping their boots.

Honer, who is originally from Surprise, Arizona, packed up and moved across the country to Nashville in 2024 to pursue his career in music, while also founding and operating his own record label, Cloverdale Records, out of his living room. What started as a one-man operation has since grown into a small, artist-friendly community, releasing music from over a dozen artists, Rowland included. 

Honer pulled from all three of his albums, giving the set a real arc through his career rather than just hits. Some notable fan favorites include songs such as "idk shit about cars," the breakout single off his sophomore album, Fighting For; "Foolin' Ourselves," from his debut album West on I-10, which is a quieter meditation on circling back to a relationship you know isn't good for you; and "Take Me As I Come," his 2024 collaboration with Wyatt Flores off Fighting For, which hit even heavier live without Flores there to share the weight of the confession. The entire setlist had everyone in the room singing along, with the occasional tear wipe or two. Honer alternated between playing songs with full band support and taking the stage solo with no more than a guitar in hand, giving fans the full spectrum of the live music experience, from stripped-down vulnerability to full-bodied, electric catharsis. And of course, no Evan Honer show is complete without one of his high-energy and acrobatic backflips off the drummer's platform, a callback to his pre-music life as a competitive gymnast and collegiate diver that still shows up in how comfortable he is using the whole stage.

Overall, the show balanced intimacy and spectacle perfectly. The quieter, confessional songs landed with real weight, while the higher-energy material (and the always iconic backflip) kept the room from ever going slack. It's truly inspiring to see artists have such dedication and passion for their work and audience. Whether Honer is on stage performing, recording music in his homemade garage-based studio, or supporting fellow artists through his record label, you can feel the genuine love and devotion he has for his craft and community. Charlotte was lucky to catch him in a room as small and personal as The Underground, but I'm already looking forward to seeing him back in North Carolina later this October, but now on a bigger stage!

Photos and review by Landry Hutchens