Photos and review by Jennie Book
@jenniebookphotography

San Francisco has seen lots of confessional songwriting and indie shows through the years, and Jensen McRae’s set at The Chapel on May 27^th was a great addition when the Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter brought her 21-song set to town. The packed house of fans were devoted to every word for the hour and a half she played, in a performance that blended lyrical storytelling, humor, and stunning vocals.

The Chapel was the ideal venue for McRae’s honesty. She opened her set with quiet confidence, accompanied by a four-piece band that kept the focus on her voice and her words. Her clear and sometimes gravelly vocals grew stronger and more confident as the night went on—by the time she reached the back half of her set, she was in full throat and the crowd loved it.

Among the night’s standouts were “One More Cowboy,” a song that epitomizes the kind of raw introspection only a songwriter in her mid-twenties can pull off without pretense. We also got crowd favorites like “White Boy” and “Dead Girl Walking,” and then she offered up Daniel Powter’s early-2000s catchy radio hit “Bad Day” that had everybody singing along, as did a cover of Taylor Swift’s “Guilty As Sin,” which showcased that special and sometimes rough timbre in her voice.

The crowd was treated to lots of storytelling between tracks, much of it emotional background to her songs, but mixed with many funny anecdotes too. And before the encore McRae gave fans a spoken word piece while she was alone without her band onstage, spotlit.

The night ended on “Massachusetts,” a clear fan favorite and the emotional high point of the evening. The crowd, many of whom had probably discovered McRae online during the pandemic, sang along to every word. It was a great sendoff.

Jensen McRae, who’s in the UK now, continues her tour through the summer and fall, so check out www.jensenmcrae.com for all the latest news and info.