Photos by Andy Argyrakis

To kick off the year, Jon Bellion scored the ultimate support slot alongside Twenty One Pilots, playing sold out arenas all over America and winning over the unconverted masses who hadn’t yet heard of him as a songwriter (Eminem and Rihanna, Jason Derulo), via a series of online mixtapes or his official debut “The Human Condition” on Capitol Records. From then until a massive turnout at Lollapalooza, that project has since reached gold sales status and produced the triple-platinum single “All Time Low.”

He had nearly 80 minutes to go, but blowing through his most recognizable hit didn’t matter one bit since the audience screamed every single word to everything that came out of Jon Bellion’s mouth.

Appearing in front of a sizeable but not sold out crowd at the Aragon Ballroom may have been nothing more than a victory lap for the hip-hop/indie pop breakout, but it was much-deserved, especially considering just how far he’s come in a relatively short window. Yet for as many times as the New Yorker’s already come to town, the headliner noticeably kicked it up several notches, not only with his ability to entertain and bounce between singing, rapping, sampling, playing piano or percussion, but also in the production department.

Even so, all Bellion had to do was flash his wide smile and the girls went crazy long before the computer bleeps and beats of “He Is The Same” kicked in exactly as they do on “The Human Condition.” To reward regulars, he wasted no time digging back to the non-album obscurity “Woodstock (Psychedelic Fiction),” then gave the newer comers instant gratification with “All Time Low.”

The 26-year-old had nearly 80 minutes to go, but blowing through his most recognizable hit didn’t matter one bit since the audience screamed every single word to everything that came out of Bellion’s mouth. Specifically, “80’s Films” was a total blast backed by video screen clips of “Rocky,” “Robocop” and many others, “Human” achieved additional intimacy with Bellion seated behind the keys and “Maybe IDK” further explored his reflective and spiritual sides.

If he didn’t continue a cursing streak during “Hand Of God” (albeit to a much-lesser extent than say “Woke The F*** Up”), it probably could’ve snuck its way into church, though the pre-taped outro featuring Sheldon Ray & The Andre Crouch Choir did its fair share of giving a glimpse into heaven. Along with an encore of “Jim Morrison” featuring frequent sidekick Travis Mendes and fellow opener Blaque Keyz, Bellion gave his absolute all, and while he doesn’t have all the answers to life’s grandest questions, possessing such sheer talent, versatility and an insistence to “love your neighbor as yourself” may very well make him a musical savior in an era oversaturated with insignificance.

Click here for more Jon Bellion photos from the Aragon Ballroom.

For additional information on Jon Bellion, visit JonBellion.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at the Aragon include Kesha (Oct. 18); The War On Drugs (Oct. 19); RapCaviar Live featuring Lil Uzi Vert, Playboi Carti and DJ Drama (Oct. 20); Freaky Deaky: Oliver Heldens (Oct. 27) and Freaky Deaky: Dillon Francis (Oct. 28), visit LiveNation.com.

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