Photographer: Liam Duffy
Evan Honer Flips expectations at La Rosa with an electrifying set
From the first backflip to the final note, Honer kept the Tucson crowd locked into a night of relentless energy with dashes of heartfelt storytelling.
Evan Honer
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La Rosa
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Evan Honer ✰ La Rosa ✰
Evan Honer, the world famous former diver for the California Baptist Lancers (and musician), flipped onto stage Friday night at La Rosa in Tucson, Arizona. The very moment I saw him land a backflip right in front of me, I knew this show was not going the way I thought it was going to go. I have never been more glad to be so incredibly wrong. I only knew Honer from his “Jersey Giant” cover and “idk shit about cars,” the former of which I enjoy quite a bit. The latter I was not the biggest fan of. Sonically, I was expecting a fairly laid back folk performance from Evan and his band. What I got instead was my socks blown off and my eardrums blown out by a fully developed folk rock (and sometimes just straight up rock) soundscape.
Opening with the fast paced “Everything I Wanted” from his latest album of the same name, Honer did not slow the pace down until well after the first five songs. The energy and excitement was electric, a symbiotic relationship between the band and the crowd, feeding off of each other’s energy. One of the standout moments of the show was Honer stopping the show to talk to the audience and share a story about his next song, “Brother”, which is a tender song dedicated to Honer’s brother, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Honer stood on stage with his guitar, accompanied only by a pedal steel guitar, and delivered a beautiful tribute. I would also like to note that on his 2026 tour, $1 from each ticket sold is being donated to the Schizophrenia &Psychosis Alliance Action.
Currently touring his junior album Everything I wanted, I caught Evan on the tail end of his months long spring tour, and just before he heads back out on the road in June. Evan’s stage presence is electric, inviting, and far more developed than you would expect for someone doing this for only about five years. I would urge everyone to catch him on tour, and I look forward to seeing him each time he comes to town and hopefully playing at bigger and bigger venues!
Article by: Liam Duffy
Plug In. Tune Out.
Evan’s music is described as heartfelt, vulnerable, and direct, featuring "plainspoken songwriting" that acts as a therapeutic "unfiltered musical diary". Bridges the gap between modern pop/rock, moving acoustic, folk-leaning songs and more experimental. Full and warm.
Photographer: Liam Duffy