Folk singer and TikTok viral sensation Jesse Welles graces The Anthem stage Wednesday, October 21st at 8pm.
Welles’ “sing the news” schtick gets a new coat of paint with his 2026 release Masks Off. Songs satirize and spear current events, cultural movements, and individuals, but with a vaguer tongue than past work. He brings his typical twangy charm, and subscribers of The Atlantic everywhere will be delighted to have their priors confirmed.
The vagueness cuts. Older songs named names and dates, so they played like headlines set to guitar. The new ones aim at moods and types. That helps them outlast a news cycle, but it also dulls the sting. Some listeners may miss the bite, but others will find the broader targets easier to relate to by the time the news cycle has moved on at the end of the tour.
Live, expect the stripped-down setup that built his following: an acoustic guitar, a harmonica rack, and a voice that sounds like it’s letting you in on the joke. Whether you come for the humor or the anger underneath it, Welles makes for a fun night out. Tickets for Jesse Welles at The Anthem on Wednesday, October 21 at 8 p.m. are still available for purchase here.
Image Source: Joey Lusterman