On Oct. 26, The Head and the Heart performed at the Civic Theatre, returning to New Orleans for the first time since playing at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 2014.

Declan McKenna, the band’s opening act, was a great compliment to The Head and the Heart’s alternative-rock sound. Only 17 years old, McKenna had the crowd on its feet, reciprocating the level of enthusiasm he had throughout his performance and setting the mood for the band that followed.

Starting off the show with the lead single from The Head and the Heart’s newest album release, “Signs of Light,” the electrifying excitement could be felt from the first chord of “All We Ever Knew.” Jumping from album to album, the band rocked the intimate venue, playing popular hits, such as “Lost in my Mind,” with passion and energy. 

The band finished its set, and Jonathan Russell, lead singer, took the stage alone to give the audience a glimpse at a new song he’d been working on that draws inspiration from New Orleans.

Russell prefaced the song with a caution of him probably messing up the chords, seeing as it was not a polished song yet. After singing the first few verses, he misplayed a chord and gave up on the solo act. At that time, the rest of the band joined in to continue the encore together.   

During the last song of the encore, The Head and the Heart left the crowd with an enchanting performance of “Rivers and Roads,” another of the band’s more popular tracks. The song had the audience singing along, and swaying to the beat, a beautiful moment brought out by the sweet sentiment of the song, and the band’s positive presence.