Amanda Jay with Ditty Wish and Eleanor Sievers – Thesis Beer Project – Rochester, MN – January 19th, 2024

Amanda Jay with Ditty Wish and Eleanor Sievers – Thesis Beer Project – Rochester, MN – January 19^th, 2024

Review and photos by Kate Klaus

Singer songwriter Amanda Jay brought her gorgeous voice and a talented lineup of musicians to celebrate the release of her album “Mirror, Mirror” at Thesis Beer Project in Rochester, MN.  The album is beautifully composed, with a mix of delicate, soft vocals with introspective lyrics and playful and fun beats speckled with solos from other talented Rochester musicians.

Eleanor Sievers started off the night with a beautiful set filled with covers and some of her originals, including songs from her recently released EP. At just 17, she commands the stage with a quiet grace and poise, with beautiful innocence and honesty in her candid, storytelling lyrics.  Her vocal tone is strong and resonant, clear, and yet soft and gentle, and paired with tender guitar stylings and musicality.

Ditty Wish followed with another impressive set of original music.  Soulful and thoughtful, her music and stage presence lit up the stage and energized the venue.  She has a striking way of telling stories with her lyrics and expression that is captivating and engaging.  With such amazing raw talent and radiating energy, she is definitely another artist to watch rise on the Minnesota music scene.

To celebrate her album release, Amanda Jay brought a talented group of musicians to join her on stage, including many members of one of her other bands, Winterstate (another great Minnesota band to check out!).  Joined by the band (Alex Ortberg on drums, and also the album’s producer at Blue Lagoon Recording Room, Brody Heinzel on electric guitar, Noah Bonsell on bass, and guest trombonist John Sievers) for the first part of her performance, her vocals shone as she played through the first few songs off the album.  Amanda has a stunning voice and is a talented multi-instrumentalist, swapping between guitar and keyboard on various songs, both with and without her band.  Her lyrics show a quiet, yet strong vulnerability and introspection, but with a sense of triumph over adversity and the challenges of life.  With a beautiful smile and rich vocals, she delivered a performance that was deeply emotional and both musically and artistically flawless.