EDEN mesmerizes sold-out crowd
EDEN mesmerized a sold-out crowd at Lincoln Hall. Photo: Pearl Shin
Jonathon Ng (more commonly known as EDEN) dropped by Chicago Oct. 1 for a stop at Lincoln Hall. Despite this being only his second tour, EDEN held his own on the stage, performing in front of a sold-out crowd and mesmerizing the audience.
Ng is a 20-year old singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist from Dublin, Ireland. Despite his young age, he has already established himself as a musician, creating an identity and listenership for himself. His music is distinguishable by dreamy synths, an unlikely blend of instruments — like strings and guitar — and his smooth, baritone voice.
Jonathon Ng wooed the crowd with his smooth, baritone vocals. Photo: Pearl Shin
EDEN is one of the first artists whose music I’ve started following early on. I stumbled upon his song “End Credits” from his debut EP of the same name when it was on my Spotify “Discover” playlist. What really sold me on his music was his ability to translate his raw emotions into his songs, making it easy to relate to the music. Finally seeing the artist whose music I listen to daily perform it live was a whole different experience.
His performance was a carefully balanced set list of songs from his first EP as well as his latest album. In between performing what he considered “oldies” from his End Credits EP, such as “End Credits,” “Gravity,” “Wake Up,” and “Catch Me If You Can,” he also performed tracks from his new album i think you think too much of me, such as “XO” and “Fumes.” He also had his fair share of covers, including stripped-down performances of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” and OutKast’s “Hey Ya.”
In addition to EDEN’s stellar performance, what surprised me the most from his show was the love and adoration that his fans had for him. While waiting for him to take the stage, I heard conversations shared between fans about taking a road trip from different states to come to Chicago; they didn’t want to miss a chance to see him while he’s touring the U.S. Seeing the way his fans gleamed while watching him on stage and singing along to his lyrics made my experience all the more special and intimate.
EDEN just released a new music video for his song “rock + roll.” If you’re looking for chill, calming music to soothe your soul as autumn rolls around, then give his songs a listen. You can check out his video as well as his latest album i think you think too much of me to experience his music.
Pearl Shin is a senior majoring in English with a concentration in media, rhetoric and cultural studies, and minoring in political science and philosophy. When she isn’t writing for UIC News, doing homework, or catching up on sleep, she enjoys watching foreign films, going to geek conventions, tutoring at the Writing Center, and photographing events around Chicago. She is the public relations officer of UIC’s pre-law society and the program director of UIC Radio.
