Friday night the Jackpot hosted a national touring show with a local feel. Kansas City guys Maps for Travelers opened the night with their signature heavy riffs and trumpet. A Great Big Pile of Leaves out of Brooklyn came up next, lightening the vibe a little with complex pop rock hooks and pretty vocals. The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die got the room moody again, packing the stage with musicians and emotions.

But the man of the hour, Evan Weiss, founder and originally the sole musician of Into It. Over It. took that stage next and the crowd sighed the breath they’d been holding all night and started belting out lyrics along with him. Weiss spoke of Lawrence as a town that he loved, having recorded here more than once, and played an encore after the kids begged him to come back. We left the show loving Weiss and loving our town for supporting great music.

Words and photos by Lillian Wright Smith