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Photo credit: Martine Ehrenclou<\/p>\n
Concert Review: Sons of Legion, The Wiltern, Los Angeles<\/p>\n
By Martine Ehrenclou<\/p>\n
Nashville-based Sons of Legion aren\u2019t a household name yet, but they will be. They\u2019re a band for this time of discord and confusion. As technology grows, we might need their music even more in the coming years.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
They\u2019ve done it all themselves. No publicist and no record label\u2013 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.<\/p>\n
But I found Sons of Legion before I knew any of that. I\u2019d 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\u2014signs 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\u2019s world while reaching for something more grounded and real.<\/p>\n
Part of their mission is calling forth realness from the past\u2014before 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\u2019t derivative of the \u201960s, \u201970s, or \u201980s, even with its roots firmly planted in rock, blues, and Southern soul. These guys have their own modern identity and a songwriter\u2019s instinct for a memorable hook. They are aware that a great song doesn\u2019t need a bunch of studio tricks to make you feel something.<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
The band opened with \u201cWheels Fall Off,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019re doing.<\/p>\n
Almost immediately, the band launched into \u201cBorn to Be Free,\u201d an upbeat Southern rock song with a gospel vibe, tasty guitar riffs, and a deep-rooted rhythm that made you want to move. \u201cI was born to be free,\u201d 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\u2019d envisioned for Sons of Legion, but it did bring some visual excitement.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
![\"Sons](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Crop-Sons-of-Legion-The-Wiltern-Martine-Ehrenclou.jpeg\")
Photo credit: Martine Ehrenclou<\/p>\n
Southern rocking numbers \u201cOutlaw\u201d and \u201cWild Horse\u201d kept the momentum going. Both songs celebrate the rebel spirit and the refusal to live by somebody else\u2019s rules. Dressed in an army-green military jacket, bandana, and sunglasses, Adam belted out the lines of \u201cOutlaw\u201d with a conviction that made you believe every word. \u201cThere\u2019s a burning in my chest like a shot to a bullet proof vest,\u201d he sang, backed by ringing harmonies and red-hot guitar licks from Jack. Then came \u201cWild Horse,\u201d with its declaration of independence and the inability to stay in one place too long. He sang, \u201cI\u2019m like a wild horse running.\u201d<\/p>\n
You could feel the invitation in those songs. Get out of your seat. Run toward something that feels like your own.<\/p>\n
\u201cPromised Land,\u201d with its Rolling Stones-like swagger and hooks, continued the band\u2019s exploration of freedom and resistance to what\u2019s happening in our world today. Sons of Legion weren\u2019t simply playing a set of rock songs. They were building a connection with the audience that shared the need for something honest and raw.<\/p>\n
That connection was one of the most striking things about the show. I\u2019ve 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.<\/p>\n
The band also played a couple of covers, including \u201cStand by Me,\u201d which opened with Danoff showing off his impressive piano chops. Later, as the lights dimmed, they launched into \u201cIn the Air Tonight.\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
![\"Sons](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/4Crop-Sons-of-Legion-Martine-Ehrenclou.jpeg\")
Photo credit: Martine Ehrenclou<\/p>\n
Adam is a deeply soulful vocalist with impressive range, but there\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
One of the night\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t rehearse this part of the show,\u201d Adam told the crowd. \u201cWe never know what\u2019s going to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adam began singing \u201cWalking on the Edge,\u201d the haunting verse about a summer night, a sense of danger, and the feeling that something isn\u2019t right. The song\u2019s 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\u2019re on.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s one of Sons of Legion\u2019s greatest strengths. They\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n
After the acoustic moment and the covers, Sons of Legion returned to their own material, including \u201cWalking on the Edge\u201d and \u201cPower,\u201d bringing the show toward its finish with the same force and conviction they\u2019d displayed from the opening notes.<\/p>\n
This wasn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n
In an era when technology can make almost anything sound pristine, Sons of Legion remind us that humanity is still the point.<\/p>\n
Watch \u201cWalking on the Edge\u201d Sons of Legion\u00a0<\/p>\n