Cincinnati’s Jack Kays is again visiting Bogart’s to bring back his “Jack’s Jam” concert series. This will be the second time the solo artist has played Bogart’s as a part of Jack’s Jam as he seemingly hopes to make it an annual event in his home city.
Kays has seen plenty of success since beginning his music career after graduating from Sycamore High School. Kays has released multiple EPs, albums and singles dating back to 2020. Shortly after releasing his breakout hit, “Morbid Mind,” Kays was quickly picked up by Columbia Records. After signing with the major label, Kays released his first official album, Mixed Emotions. The album was then followed up with two EPs, voice memos and My Favorite Nightmares. Kays would then collaborate with Travis Barker, the drummer of acclaimed pop-punk outlet Blink-182.
Jack Kays’ sound has evolved drastically since starting his music career. After graduating high school, Kays released rap music on Soundcloud. He’s also ventured into the realms of indie, rock, pop-punk and folk rock. A lot of the instrumentals in Kays’ music are guitar-centric. As a multi-instrumentalist, it’s clear that Kays takes pride in writing catchy riffs that act as earworms for the brain. Kays is also lauded for his ability to touch on sensitive subjects bluntly and aggressively. Topics like drugs and mental health are common themes in many of his lyrics. These words have resonated with his fans, as Kays now has millions of streams and views across multiple platforms.
The growing popularity hasn’t made Kays forget where he’s from, though. Despite the ongoing success, Kays will again bring back his annual hometown show — and he won’t be alone. Kays will be joined alongside other artists like Peter McPoland, Evan Honer and Massie. This lineup hits on multiple genres, spanning from country to rock. Clearly, Kays is looking to make an event where everyone and anyone can come out and have a great time.
Jack Kays plays Bogart’s on Nov. 29 at 5:30 p.m. More info: bogarts.com.
This story is featured in CityBeat’s Nov. 13 print edition.
This article appears in Nov 13-26, 2024.