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Dylan Owen’s music feels like a homemade card. Thoughtful and heartfelt, his lyrics aim straight for the heart, evoking a far more personal connection than the generic verses mainstream rappers sometimes spit.
The young musician, who describes his music as a blend of hip-hop vocals set to indie rock tracks, wore his heart on his sleeve as he rapped and sang at The Middle East Upstairs in Cambridge Tuesday night. The show kicked off the New York native’s first ever headlining tour. Named after his most recent album, “There’s More to Life,” Owen personally put together the four-show tour as a way to connect with fans. And so far, it has done just that.
About 100 20-somethings crammed into the intimate venue, passionately singing along to each of Owen’s songs. The energy was palpable, both on stage and in the crowd, and the show felt more like a basement jam session with good friends. Backed up by bandmates Gabe Valle and Nate Sander, who added violin and trumpet to the mix, Owen opened the night with a spoken word intro.
In between sets, Owen conversed with fans and thanked them for their enthusiasm. Halfway through the show, he introduced his good friend Regina Zaremba, and the two sang the acoustic duet “Landmarks,” a track from his previous album, “Keep Your Friends Close.” Zaremba stayed on for another set and they debuted a brand new track called “Wrinkles,” a song about loved ones growing old.
Owen’s energy never faltered. Even after singing his last set, he enthusiastically ran back on stage to heed the crowd’s “encore” chants. He closed out the night with “The Window Seat,” a single he released in 2013.
After the show, Owen took Polaroids with fans and spent time getting to know the audience. It’s this relationship with his fans that displays Owen’s passion for connecting with others through his music.
In an interview with The Daily Free Press before the show, Owen talked about the tribulations, joys and inspiration behind his music-making process.
“It’s sometimes challenging to maintain belief that it’s worth doing and that [my music] has a purpose in the world,” he said. “The hardest thing is being able to wake up every day and have confidence in that.”
But if his fan base at the show was any indication, it’s clear that listeners appreciate his honest, confessional-style songwriting.
Owen grew up in Orange County, New York, where he first fell in love with music. His older brother was in a pop-punk band, and Owen would often rap during their sound checks.
“I was the one kid at the punk show who was into hip-hop,” he said, laughing.
As he grew up, Owen continued rapping and making music, inspired by artists like A$AP Rocky and Sage Francis. After his freshman year at Cornell University, Owen decided to move to New York City and pursue music full time at New York University. It was there in New York when he fully dove into his passion and devoted himself to music.
Owen’s lyrics are often deeply introspective, offering candid snapshots of his life. He sings about everything from his childhood to his high school years to his time living alone in the city.
“I want to put my honest voice out there because I feel like it’s probably pretty similar to how a lot of kids in America grew up,” he said.
Part of the reason he decided to write music is because he felt like he never fully related to the songs he heard when he was growing up.
“I felt like nobody was saying the exact things I wanted to hear because I’m so particular about words,” Owen said.
Owen’s keen attention to word choice is evident in the poetic lyrics that elicit a strong sense of nostalgia in anyone who has ever fallen in love, spent long nights in basements with friends or feared growing older.
He will be taking his unique style of music to Philadelphia, New York and Burlington over the next month. In addition to the tour, he has been working hard on new music and plans to release more songs and videos throughout the year.
When asked about the title “There’s More to Life,” Owen explained that it’s an encouraging reminder that there is always more to discover and experience.
“Everybody leads you to believe these are going to be the best years of our lives or the most amazing experiences,” he said. “But you can make whatever period of life the best that you want it to be.”
