This past Friday night, Ozark, AR-based singer-songwriter Jesse Welles made his highly anticipated return to NYC for a show at downtown’s Pier 17. He recently busked in Washington Square Park as part of his ongoing impromptu jam series, yet drew a massive crowd for the full-scale ticketed version.
Out on tour in support of his latest album Masks Off, the politically charged musician performed eight of the project’s 11 tracks throughout his 30-song set, which clocked in at just under an hour and fifty minutes. Additionally, tunes from several past projects, such as 2024 album Hells Welles, 2024 EP All Creatures Great and Small, and 2025 album Middle were represented, as well as a well-received selection of covers.
A shirtless Welles took to the stage with an acoustic set to kickstart the evening, sifting through tunes like “Fentanyl,” “Cancer,” “There’s a Hole,” and “United Health” at a rapid pace. His crowd, a seemingly liberal-minded mixed bunch age wise, cheered him on, and occasionally winced, as he candidly sung his truth: “CEO’s come and go and one just went/ The ingredients you got bake the cake you get/ So if you get sick, cross your fingers for luck, cause old Richard T. Burke ain’t giving a fuck.” The stripped back nature of the set, with just an acoustic guitar and harmonica to accompany him, ensures not one lyric is lost in translation.
Midway through “Whirlwind,” an unreleased tune performed on just 10 occasions thus far, his band made their way onto the stage. It was a seamless transition that would introduce the most compelling portion of tunes, with the collective effectively shooting from the hip. On several instances, this writer witnessed Welles’ keyboardist Bobby Steinfeld curiously peering over at him in an attempt to discover where he was headed next, though no evident errors were made.
The full-band portion proved to be cover-heavy, with Welles and co. utilizing “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath, “Come As You Are” by Nirvana, and “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” by The Beatles to amplify original tunes “Masks Off,” “Horses,” and “Malaise” respectively. And no, these were not shortened versions. The mix of “War Pigs” into “Masks Off” cleared eight minutes in length, and undoubtedly resulted in a collective serotonin boost. Drummer Connor Streeter and guitarist Adam Meisterhans cracked their knuckles and boasted their skills in vibrant ways within this section, and Welles himself was happy to stand back and oblige. Humorously fidgeting without a guitar in his hand, he would introduce the band individually during an extended take on “Domestic Error” off of Masks Off.
Following “Malaise,” the band would step away for yet another solo Welles acoustic set, highlighted by the one-two punch of “Bugs” and “Turtles,” both off the All Creatures… project. The slight look of amusement on his face for both tunes perhaps led the crowd into a false sense of security, as they, while somewhat comical, are written with genuine implications: “Turtles don’t need a whole lot, they’re pretty independent dudes/ They need clean water and clean air/ About the same things as we need up here.”
The band returned in stealth mode, stepping back in for “Siddhartha,” a Masks Off highlight. Wrapping up with Masks Off's “Technopagans" and “Won’t You Come Out Tonight,” Middle's “Fear is the Mind Killer,” and Hells Welles’ protest anthem “War Isn’t Murder,” the mission statement of the evening became clear. As Welles continues to present himself as a Woody Guthrie or Bob Dylan archetype, his music, and the presentation of it, is displayed with the hope that attendees will find their own identity, and their own voice, in a world of ongoing political and socioeconomic strife. Why? Because a singular voice, as powerful as it may be, cannot proceed without those willing to contextualize and supply their own interpretations.
Welles is on tour through November:
08/04 — Indianapolis, IN @ Rock The Ruins *
08/05 — Kansas City, MO @ Grinders*
08/07 — Lyons, CO @ Rocky Mountain Folks Festival
08/08 — Alta, WY @ Grand Targhee Bluegrass Festival
08/09 — Missoula, MT @ KettleHouse Amphitheater ^
08/11 — Seattle, WA @ Woodland Park Zoo ^
08/12 — Portland, OR @ Pioneer Courthouse Square ^
08/14 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Red Butte Garden ^
08/15 — Dillon, CO @ Dillon Amphitheater ^
08/18 — Omaha, NE @ Steelhouse Omaha ^
08/19 — Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom ^
08/21 — St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant ^
09/06 — George, WA @ Gorge Amphitheatre
09/18–09/20 — East Aurora, NY @ Borderland Music Festival
09/27 — Louisville, KY @ Bourbon & Beyond
10/06 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern +
10/16 — Nashville, TN @ The Pinnacle +
10/17 — Chicago, IL @ The Salt Shed +
10/18 — Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre +
10/20 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE +
10/21 — Washington, DC @ The Anthem +
10/23 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Met Philadelphia +
10/24 — Boston, MA @ Roadrunner +
10/26 — Columbus, OH @ KEMBA Live! +
* = w/ Steph Strings
^ = w/ Ratboys
+= w/Hudson Freeman
