Inside Swedish American Hall on a gloomy Wednesday night was a tightly knit crowd patiently awaiting the arrival of R&B up-and-comer, Dijon. Some decided to view the performance from the balcony with a drink in one hand, while others huddled around the stage in anticipation. A gentle excitement permeated the venue.
Preceding Dijon was artist Deaton Chris Anthony, who delivered a set of energetic tunes characterized by a consistent disco-esque and bouncy sound, given a unique character by his charismatic delivery. A surprising highlight of his performance was actually not a song, but rather Chris Anthony’s show-and-tell of his hat with a backstrap that doubled as a USB drive, holding all of his songs. From there, he performed hits such as “1999 She” and “RACECAR” while the crowd joyously smiled and swayed to the jumpy quality of the songs.
On stage shortly afterwards Chris Anthony’s set was 26-year-old artist Dijon, standing on top of a small and cramped rectangular-shaped platform, warmly welcomed by a variety of yelps and screams of “I LOVE YOU!” from the audience. The performance commenced, with Dijon’s hands switching back and forth between a microphone and a slick Fender Stratocaster.
What filled the venue that night was an atmosphere of emotional vulnerability and raw honesty. Calculated interplay between the guitar and drums created a tension that complimented Dijon’s folksy and moody R&B aesthetic. Hits such as “Skin” and “Drunk” evoked an immediate response from the audience as faces lit up with mixed emotions of sadness, excitement, and joy as Dijon expressed the torturous feelings of missing an intimate partner he is no longer close with. The infectious chord progression of “Skin” amplified the emotional nature of the performance, with the string melody ringing through the boisterous speakers surrounding the audience.
The layout of Swedish American Hall regarding the stage was unique in that there were no barricades or methods of separation between Dijon and the audience. Without a barrier between both parties, the performance did not feel like a concert, but rather an honest interaction between friends. It felt as if a genuine connection was being formed between Dijon and the audience. I was watching Dijon spill his fears, emotions, and memories to the crowd while they patiently listened and sang along, enticed by the woozy and stripped-back sound of the songs. The stage layout helped unite both the audience and the artist together. Not a concert, but a conversation.
Some of the most captivating moments of the performance came during Dijon’s live rendition of “Nico’s Red Truck.” A slight buzzing sound emitted from the guitar haunted the duration of the song as he delicately sang with utmost intimacy. The crowd reciprocated the emotional intensity throughout the song, as they echoed each and every lyric, touching on themes of nostalgia, fear of forgotten memories, and reminiscence of simpler times. The hard-hitting lyrics reverberated throughout the entire venue with a gentle and pained quality in Dijon’s vocals.
Ending the setlist was “Violence)”, the song that got me into Dijon. The chaotic energy in the second half of the song manifested the same energy during the performance, as he pushed himself into the crowd while an overwhelming amount of people surround him. It was like witnessing a hurricane, a swirling flurry of people tossed back and forth between each other, with some spilling over the stage and some holding onto Dijon while he sang his lungs out. It was a beautiful mess that accurately represented the feelings of frustration and anguish throughout the latter half of “Violence).”
It’s rare to watch an artist perform with such intense feelings of humility and vulnerability. Dijon presented the most honest version of himself that Wednesday night at Swedish American Hall. What he performed was not just a collection of songs, but rather an emotional conversation. It was a passionaly-performed and therapeutic experience, and it is exciting to see where Dijon’s career is headed next.
Article and Photos by Caden Choi