When artist Jon Bellion announced that he and his team would be extending their tour for a third and final leg back in June, the Beautiful Mind fan base rejoiced in anticipation of yet another chance to witness his artistry and talent at work again. Bellion's debut LP, "The Human Condition", dropped in June of 2016, after which he and his team embarked on a nationwide tour to share his album via the live realm. Only three months after the first, a second leg was announced. After that, Bellion was invited to open for the band Twenty One Pilots on their tour for a few months, where he gained an even larger following. Another short period later, we are now undergoing what Bellion claimed to be his "last live shit for a very long time."
Having attended the first two legs in Los Angeles, I had an inkling of what I should expect to experience at the final leg. However, knowing Jon Bellion, it was certain that Part Three would be a changed in a different but uniquely-amazing way. Upon arrival at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium, it was immediately apparent that the Beautiful Mind fan base had grown immensely in comparison to the previous leg of The Human Condition Tour. Growing from The Wiltern's rough capacity of 1,800 to The Shrine's hefty 6,300 in less than a year was a testament to the show that we were all about to experience.
Bellion's personal friends and fellow members of Beautiful Mind, Travis Mendes and Blaque Keyz, opened for the crowd as they did during the first two legs. The two each performed their own music and were met with the gratitude and applause of fans in appreciation for their positive energy and unique sounds.
As the openers left the stage and the lights dimmed, the audience was engulfed in a roar of deafening applause for the main act: Jon Bellion. The moment the lights came back on and Bellion stepped onstage to "He Is The Same", the atmosphere was overwhelming. Bellion looked out upon the crowd, speechless and visibly almost tearing up. He thanked the crowd for supporting him and said "This leg is for YOU! We've been listening to the fans and what you guys want to hear, so we're bringing what YOU guys want most tonight."
Immediately after, the band was in motion and began playing a tune. Unrecognizable at first, it began to sound more and more familiar until the song's first lyrics were uttered. The crowd went wild in the realization that "Woodstock" was being performed for the first time ever on The Human Condition Tour.
Beautiful Mind emphasizes that their live performances should be different, and more importantly, better than their original releases; they capitalized on this philosophy throughout the entire night. From Bellion picking away at his beat pad for "All Time Low", to dedicating a piano cover of "Human" to his close friend, Drew, who is currently recovering from a life-threatening accident, every moment throughout the night demonstrated Bellion and Beautiful Mind's unwavering chemistry and talent. The entire team played and performed together like a well-oiled machine, feeding off of the energy of the ecstatic crowd, and vice-versa.
Bellion took a brief moment to thank the fans for giving him all of their energy throughout the night. He explained that he contemplated canceling the show due to sickness, and the fans totally reassured him that he would've regretted doing so. He stepped back to give thanks to the rest of Beautiful Mind.
"You see these people up here?", Bellion asked the crowd. "I would not be here if it weren't for these people, my friends and team...I want you to see, up here, it doesn't matter the color of your skin. We are all here to spread the magic of music. I believe God gave us music to make change. Music is powerful, and the no matter the color of your skin, music is here to make a difference."
The fans cheered for Beautiful Mind and the message they represented as Bellion said, "I want you to look to your left and to your right. Tonight we're all here to love the music as one. Now, this record right here took me a year-and-a-half to make." "Hand of God" then began to play as the final track of the night. The crowd sang every lyric together with Bellion; everyone was truly ONE in that moment.
Jon Bellion and Beautiful Mind left the stage to a unified crowd all chanting for an encore. Tradition at Jon Bellion concerts says that the crowd lets every ounce of energy out for his song "Jim Morrison" during the encore. The band walked back onstage to the fans' delight.
"This is my last time performing for a very long while," Bellion explained, "I need to just get back and start working on some new stuff for all of you...I need you to go absolutely wild one last time for a long time."
The crowd packed in even tighter and jumped around with all of their energy. Bellion took intermittent pauses during the mellow parts of the song to talk to the crowd, until the drops where everyone would "rock the fuck out". Bellion's ability to keep an audience engaged and energized throughout the night was no more evident in those final moments of the show. After some final bows, Bellion exited the stage for the last time until he and his music return.
Three legs of a single tour was a feat Bellion and his team managed to keep fresh and amazing each time around, and the longevity of "The Human Condition" continues to prove powerful. Whether Jon decides to take one year off, or five years off, the wait will undoubtedly be worth it, and Beautiful Mind fans will be there each leg along the way.
