Gunnar Kicks Off His Upside Down Tour In Chicago

Photos and concert review by Cait Dennis

The Beat Kitchen, Chicago, IL: October 9, 2025

Gunnar is an American singer/song-writer from California who kicked off his ‘Upside Down Tour’ in Chicago. This is Gunnar’s first ever headline tour to celebrate his recent release "Sun Faded." From pop-rock sounds to mellow indie beats, Gunnar has quite the diverse music portfolio. This was my first time seeing him live and hearing his music, and I was definitely not disappointed.

To start the show, we got to see the incredibly talented Ryman Leon. I would describe his sound as indie-country, almost folksy. The lyrics were heartfelt and raw, and you could hear it in his voice. The emotion was at the forefront of every word he sang and I’m definitely going to keep him on my radar! Each song told a story that aims to make you feel something. It was a great set and you can tell that he is only going to go up from here. Fans right in the front were singing along throughout the set and everyone else was engaged in the music, which always catches my eye and tells me that he’s doing something right.

Next up was Jared Benjamin. This is one of those artists that I will keep in my back

pocket for when he has a headline show here one day. His sound is indie-soul-rock-folk fusion, with a good mix of mellow beats and heavy drums and guitar. He had great banter with the audience and worked through technical difficulties seamlessly, which gets props from me. His stage presence was strong and the vocals were insane. I will definitely also be keeping him on my radar.

Gunnar finally took the stage, and gave 101% into that set. His vocals were insane and I was engaged the entire set. This was his first live show in about a year I believe he said, but to me it seemed like he had it in the bag. Despite the room not being packed shoulder to shoulder, the energy in the room was super high and everyone, band members and fans alike, were having a great time. The energy on the tiny stage was dare I say perfect. You could tell that the music resonated with the room and that everyone was excited to kick off this tour. The band played together beautifully and I found myself having to stop myself from bobbing my head while I was trying to take photos. The music was catchy and raw and just made you wanna bob your head, if

not just jump up and down. He did have a nice acoustic moment in the set, where he played a ‘new’ song for everyone. The song itself isn't new, he mentioned it was written awhile ago, but he just never put it out. After playing it fans expressed their want for its release, so I will be keeping an eye out for that. It was a beautiful ballad that would be perfect for the sad fall playlist. The set ended with ‘Bitter’ and the band and the fans gave everything they had for that last song, and left the room wanting more.

It was a beautiful set from all three acts and I highly recommend checking them all out and maybe even catching a show if the tour is coming to a city near you!

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Gunnar

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Jared Benjamin

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Rymon Leon