Paul Janeway delivered a commanding, emotionally charged performance holding the entire room.

St. Paul and the Broken Bones — https://stpaulandthebrokenbones.com — took the stage at The Ritz in Raleigh on April 19, 2026 with the kind of command that comes from years of doing this at a high level, and from the first moments it was clear the room was with them. Paul Janeway doesn’t coast through a set; he stays in constant motion, pulling focus without losing control of the vocal, letting the emotion sit right on the surface without overplaying it. The Birmingham band has built a substantial catalog through Half the City, Sea of Noise, Young Sick Camellia, and The Alien Coast, released through ATO Records after their early work with Single Lock Records, and the set moved across that material in a way that felt natural rather than segmented. The horn section carried real presence in the room, the rhythm section kept everything grounded, and the newer songs fit seamlessly alongside the earlier records. This “Live in 2026” tour is a wide run across major U.S. cities before heading into the U.K., Ireland, and mainland Europe, with stops in places like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, and Dublin anchoring the route. The staging stayed clean and intentional, with lighting focused on tone and contrast instead of excess; specific production vendors were not publicly credited. Front-of-house sound kept Janeway’s vocal forward while giving the band space, though no engineer was named. The crowd stayed engaged throughout, with a steady rise in energy that held through the final stretch, and the merch area remained busy well after the set. The band’s career includes sustained critical recognition, major festival appearances, and ongoing support for community and arts-related initiatives. Their latest release is here: https://stpaulandthebrokenbones.com/music

St. Paul and the Broken Bones

Brother Wallace — https://brotherwallace.com — opened the night with a set that felt right at home in this room, leaning into a Southern soul and Americana blend that has been building through independent releases and steady touring across the Southeast. There was no sense of trying too hard to win the crowd; the songs were given space, the groove stayed intact, and by the midpoint people who had just arrived were already shifting their attention forward. Their placement on this tour puts them in front of audiences that already understand the style, and cities like Raleigh, Atlanta, Nashville, and Charleston line up naturally with what they do. Production was minimal, relying on house lighting and standard backline, with no specific staging or lighting companies credited; front-of-house was handled by the venue’s engineer. The band continues to operate independently rather than through a major label, building its catalog release by release, and that direct connection showed at the merch table with vinyl, CDs, and apparel moving steadily. Fans near the floor were talking about the band spending time with early arrivals before doors, which carried through into a set that felt accessible without losing focus. Their latest release is here: https://brotherwallace.com/music

Brother Wallace