Photo credit: Martine Ehrenclou
Concert Review: Sons of Legion, The Wiltern, Los Angeles
By Martine Ehrenclou
Nashville-based Sons of Legion aren’t a household name yet, but they will be. They’re a band for this time of discord and confusion. As technology grows, we might need their music even more in the coming years.
Blending gritty rock, Southern soul, and blues, Adam McInnis and Daddy Jack (Jack Crenshaw) and their band, deliver something that feels increasingly rare: music with grit, heart, and authenticity. No gimmicks, no gloss. No AI. Just killer songwriting, vocals that nearly blow your mind, and musicianship that reminds you why live music matters.
They’ve done it all themselves. No publicist and no record label– they produce their own music. Someone in the band knows how to market their music and has good business sense because this band is gaining ground quickly. Their music has garnered over 55 million streams and is featured on major platforms like ESPN, Dodge Ram commercials, Netflix, and NBC.
But I found Sons of Legion before I knew any of that. I’d watched a few videos shot in what appeared to be Arizona, featuring two talented guys playing acoustic guitars. Wide open spaces featured horses and mountains—signs of a down to earth sensibility. I remember thinking when I first heard them that their songs were superb with meaningful lyrics. Just two musicians who seemed comfortable in their own skin, delivering songs that spoke to the strangeness of today’s world while reaching for something more grounded and real.
Part of their mission is calling forth realness from the past—before AI, before Pro Tools and before Autotune. Before fakeness arrived. With a modern spin, their music hit me in a way that felt organic and real, as if I was reaching back to a simpler time when people valued human beings over perfection. Their music isn’t derivative of the ’60s, ’70s, or ’80s, even with its roots firmly planted in rock, blues, and Southern soul. These guys have their own modern identity and a songwriter’s instinct for a memorable hook. They are aware that a great song doesn’t need a bunch of studio tricks to make you feel something.
On Sunday, October 11, Sons of Legion brought that spirit to the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles, the art deco landmark that opened in 1930.
The band opened with “Wheels Fall Off,” a high-energy roots-rock number that hit the crowd like a shot of jet fuel. With its stomping, almost tribal rhythm, clapping beats, pulsing bass, and driving guitars, the song felt as much like a rallying cry as a rock anthem. The crowd was with them from the start.
Adam McInnis and Jack Crenshaw commanded the stage. Adam handled lead vocals and clasped a tambourine, while Jack, sporting a Western-style fedora, added harmonies and played tasty lead guitar. They had obvious chemistry with each other and with the band. These are two musicians who know exactly what they’re doing.
Almost immediately, the band launched into “Born to Be Free,” an upbeat Southern rock song with a gospel vibe, tasty guitar riffs, and a deep-rooted rhythm that made you want to move. “I was born to be free,” Adam sang, joined by Jack and the band with rich, bassy harmonies. The pyrotechnics on stage worked well with the drums and rhythm of the songs. More like a KISS stage show than what I’d envisioned for Sons of Legion, but it did bring some visual excitement.
The full lineup brought plenty of firepower: Doran Danoff on keyboards, organ, and harmonica; Reagan Kretz on drums and other instruments; Michael J on bass; and Joey McClellan on rhythm guitar. Together, they gave the songs a muscular foundation without crowding out the vocals or guitar.
Photo credit: Martine Ehrenclou
Southern rocking numbers “Outlaw” and “Wild Horse” kept the momentum going. Both songs celebrate the rebel spirit and the refusal to live by somebody else’s rules. Dressed in an army-green military jacket, bandana, and sunglasses, Adam belted out the lines of “Outlaw” with a conviction that made you believe every word. “There’s a burning in my chest like a shot to a bullet proof vest,” he sang, backed by ringing harmonies and red-hot guitar licks from Jack. Then came “Wild Horse,” with its declaration of independence and the inability to stay in one place too long. He sang, “I’m like a wild horse running.”
You could feel the invitation in those songs. Get out of your seat. Run toward something that feels like your own.
“Promised Land,” with its Rolling Stones-like swagger and hooks, continued the band’s exploration of freedom and resistance to what’s happening in our world today. Sons of Legion weren’t simply playing a set of rock songs. They were building a connection with the audience that shared the need for something honest and raw.
That connection was one of the most striking things about the show. I’ve seen plenty of bands with great players, impressive production, and choreographed performances. Sons of Legion had something unique going on. They seemed genuinely connected to the people in front of them. The audience was on its feet for much of the night, cheering, singing, and calling for more.
The band also played a couple of covers, including “Stand by Me,” which opened with Danoff showing off his impressive piano chops. Later, as the lights dimmed, they launched into “In the Air Tonight.” Adam took command of the song, and before long, he was down on the floor, delivering a performance that silenced the audience. What a voice.
Photo credit: Martine Ehrenclou
Adam is a deeply soulful vocalist with impressive range, but there’s more to his performance than sheer vocal power. He knows how to deliver the lyrics with feeling. You find yourself watching him even when the rest of the band is creating some serious musical fireworks.
One of the night’s most memorable moments came when Adam played acoustic guitar and Jack played a red Gibson ES-345. The two responded to a couple of shouts from the balcony requesting a song.
“We don’t rehearse this part of the show,” Adam told the crowd. “We never know what’s going to happen.”
Adam began singing “Walking on the Edge,” the haunting verse about a summer night, a sense of danger, and the feeling that something isn’t right. The song’s unsettling imagery and searching lyrics seemed to reach beyond the stage, reflecting the unease many of us feel about the world right now, no matter what side of the political aisle you’re on.
That’s one of Sons of Legion’s greatest strengths. They’re storytellers. Their songs are about real life, complicated feelings, the need for freedom, and the search for something worth believing in. They leave room for listeners to bring their own experiences to the music, and that makes the connection feel personal.
After the acoustic moment and the covers, Sons of Legion returned to their own material, including “Walking on the Edge” and “Power,” bringing the show toward its finish with the same force and conviction they’d displayed from the opening notes.
This wasn’t an audience applauding a band it had just discovered. People were singing and shouting, responding to the music with the kind of abandon that speaks of sincere connection and appreciation.
In an era when technology can make almost anything sound pristine, Sons of Legion remind us that humanity is still the point.
Watch “Walking on the Edge” Sons of Legion
Sons of Legion website