Jack Kays: The Raw Confession

By on March 6, 2025

Back at Home Plate at 2:00 PM, Jack Kays stepped up, a lone figure with a guitar and a voice that cuts like a switchblade. Born in Cincinnati, this singer-songwriter blends punk, folk, and hip-hop into a raw, emotional stew.

File Photo: Jack Kays performs at the Innings Festival in Tempe, AZ on February 21, 2025. (Photo Credit and Copyright; Larry Philpot/SoundstagePhotography.com)

He’s famous for “Mourning After,” a gut-punch of a song from his 2021 mixtape Mixed Emotions, which skyrocketed him from SoundCloud obscurity to festival stages.

File Photo: Jack Kays performs at the Innings Festival in Tempe, AZ on February 21, 2025. (Photo Credit and Copyright; Larry Philpot/SoundstagePhotography.com)


Jack’s set was a rollercoaster of whispers and screams, starting with the tender “Caffeine” before ripping into “Mourning After.” The crowd—some in baseball caps, others in band tees—leaned in as he bared his soul, his rasp echoing across the park. “Deadbeat!” closed out his 45 minutes, leaving a hush over Tempe, like a batter staring down a curveball he didn’t see coming.
Approximated Setlist:

  1. “Caffeine”
  2. “Mourning After”
  3. “Out of My Head”
  4. “Feel Like Me”
  5. “Deadbeat!”

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