Music Discoveries that I’m Totally in To: Jourdan Myers

“Ughhh…I hate openers!”

Said Nicole, when I told her on Monday night, before the concert we were about to head out to, that there were two of them.

Of course, when she found out there were two of them, she showed even more exasperation. The look in her eyes said it all…I don’t pay money to go to a concert and to see people I’ve never heard of…I want to see the main act!

Well, I like to be a little more optimistic about openers. I mean, what better way to discover new music then to hear up-and-coming musicians opening for a more well-known act?

Turn out Nicole and I ended up missing the first opener anyway. We had some transportation problems you see…we planned on taking the Light Rail, Minneapolis’ public transportation system, to get to First Ave., but the weather was so damn cold that there was a power outage and it wasn’t working. We ended up calling a cab from a nearby coffee shop and made it to First Ave. right as the first opener finished his set.

We arrived just in time to see Jourdan Myers perform.

And let me tell you, even Miss Cynical Nicole, who was less-than-happy to have to painfully endure the absolute wraith of those dreaded opening acts (she’s kind of a drama queen, people), had a smile on her face by the end of Myers’ set.

“That was so good!” she exclaimed as she looked over to me with bright eyes.

Yes, opening acts are simply the worst.

And that, my friends, is Nicole, my best friend since kindergarten.

It’s been about a month an a half since my last (and very first) installment of Music Discoveries I’m Totally in To; I just haven’t found any artists that I’ve been fawning over completely since then. I made a few discoveries that I love, but nothing I’ve felt the need to write about.

Well, singer-songwriter Jourdan Myers is definitely worth both fawning over and writing about. A Minneapolis-based artist (and, as a Minnesotan myself, I do like to support local talent), she composed all twelve songs on her newest album, Ruin Me With Love (information courtesy of her website). Let me tell you, all twelve of those songs are insanely beautiful and breathtaking, something I usually don’t say about an entire album.

Myers was incredibly sweet while performing on stage. She was so excited to be there  and it wasn’t hard to tell that as an audience member. Music is clearly something she loves to do. She gave the audience background stories for a few of her songs, eager to share not just the music itself, but the meaning behind the music. She was also incredibly supportive of both Ari Herstand, the main act, and Josh Clutter, the first opening act that Nicole and I missed. A paraphrased quote from her went something like this, “I love performing at shows like this because then I get into the rest of the concert for free!” Not only does she love being a musician herself, but I could tell that she loves listening, learning from, and supporting other musicians.

If that wasn’t enough, Myers also crochets and was selling some of her creations at the concert alongside her artist merchandise. She told us she had received a text from her mom before the show advising her to cover up; it was soo cold out that frostbite could happen in ten minutes. That was her shameless plug for the audience to buy her warm goodies. It was kind of adorable, not gonna lie.

I’m so glad Nicole and I made it in time to see her perform. It was so fun to discover such a talented up-and-coming Minneapolis artist and I’ve pretty much had Ruin Me With Love on replay on Spotify since then. I think I might have to buy the album. I LOVE IT!

If you’re looking for new music, I definitely recommend checking out Jourdan Myers. My favorite songs from her new album are “Dusty Roses” and “Lifetime or Before,” though the rest of the album is fantastic as well.

Also, here’s a music video for her song, “Wanderlust”

I hope you enjoy Jourdan Myers’ music as much as I do!