I always feel that on the day of a big show something, if not everything has a tendency to go wrong. Last night was no exception, seeing as I misplaced my wallet and had to pull pennies together, with help of my roommates, to be able to feed a meter to park my car. Of course, I was running late so and had no alternative, but a lovely overpriced parking garage located in downtown Chicago’s Theater District. I knew it would be worth it to see Jessica Lea Mayfield and Ryan Adams perform at the Cadillac Palace Theater, and I wasn’t wrong.

Jessica Lea Mayfield caught my attention when she opened for Justin Townes Earle this past February and I was eager to have another chance to see her, especially at this venue. It is not very common for artists to be granted the ability to play in a theater setting like the Cadillac Palace.  Walking through the main doors the ticket scanners along with usher greeted us in their uniforms, which are reminiscent of tuxedos, jackets and bow ties included for both men and women. As I ran up the plush padded maroon carpeted spiral stairs it wasn’t until the third set that I heard Jessica’s voice radiating through the gold embellished theater walls.  I was greeted by darkness as I entered the main part of the theater only to see the red glow center stage over Jessica’s blonde hair.

During the first song my roommate turned to me to say, “ She’s really good”, and I agreed wholeheartedly. The amazing sound quality of the theater certainly enhanced her already hauntingly beautiful vocals.  Jessica appeared so tiny as she stood acoustic guitar in hand alone on the immense stage, but she definitely held her own. Each song she sang was followed by another equally as hypnotizing as the one before. While for the most part everyone was silent through each song to really appreciate her vocals, one man located in the balcony felt the need to randomly clap in the middle of every other song for no apparent reason and without any beat. This annoying man set aside I don’t think one could hope for a better live acoustic performance.

Jessica’s performance was suited for sitting in a comfy chair listening, drinking a cup of tea, and watching the snow start to fall as our Midwest winter slowly rolls in. Which was a perfect intro to the amazing soul touching performance Ryan Adams followed with. Overall, I don’t see Jessica, a Kent, Ohio native leaving the music scene anytime soon. If I had the choice to see her again I would prefer her with a band, there is something that is added to her performance when she has her full band that was lost last night, but her vocals are easily the star of any set she plays. The next show is again in the Midwest opening for Ryan.