Chance Peña Brings a Taste of Texas to NY
Chance Peña brought a taste of Texas to Brooklyn this week. Off the heels of opening for David Kushner, Peña’s headline tour has taken him across the country from Texas to New York to California and beyond.
Born and raised in Tyler, Texas, Peña started his musical journey auditioning for The Voice at 15. Eight years later, Peña developed his songwriting skills and honed his craft, creating music with folk and introspective undertones, built upon guitar chords and riffs. His rich voice, subtly infused with a Southern twang, draws listeners into his songs.
In 2019, Peña released his debut EP, anxiety & mixed emotions, aptly capturing his transition from his hometown to Los Angeles. Peña described the title track as the “perfect summary and foundation for what I wanted this project to be and for the space I’ve been in this year. Anxious to chase what lies ahead and unsure how to feel about what’ll be left behind. The unknown calls to us all, and we get to choose how we answer it.”
Fortunately, Peña did answer the call to pursue his dreams. Continuing to write, record, and produce his own music, the singer has made strides in his career. Alongside a handful of singles and an EP in 2020, Peña has built up a fanbase. 2023 saw Peña’s EP Lovers to Strangers featuring the fan-favorite track “In My Room," which amassed over 200 million streams.
Peña's dedicated fans have ensured sold-out shows across the U.S. leg of his headline tour. When I arrived at the venue, the line was long and even doubled over with everyone excited to see Chance Peña perform. Some fans even attended both nights of his back-to-back shows in NY, demonstrating their unwavering support.
The night began with Hayd walking on stage, guitar in hand. Playing "Airplane Mode" and "Don’t Go Don’t Leave," he warmed up the crowd. Switching over to piano for "Changes," the audience sang along with teary eyes for the emotional song. Along with originals, Hayd also covered "The A Team" by Ed Sheeran. Despite forgetting the second half of the lyrics, he pulled through, laughed it off, and repeated the first verse. Ending his set with a new song, Hayd left the crowd waiting for more.
As Chance Peña's band took the stage, an excited hum swept through the crowd as they eagerly awaited his arrival. Taking the stage, he jumped straight into “Upside Down.” Saying hello to the crowd, Peña got a warm welcome. “Sleep Deprivation” followed with Peña’s soulful voice filling the venue.
There’s no flashiness to Peña’s performance. Just a guy and his guitar, there's no need for a backing track, light show, or other support. With just an acoustic guitar and a rich voice, Peña had the entire audience captivated.
Not only did Peña play the favorites, but he also showed what’s to come with unreleased tracks. “Cruel World” is passionate and biting, with raw vocals that grab you. Describing “Blackbird” as a story about a relationship where one is trying to provide and it causes a rift, Peña had everyone hooked. Peña shared that he wrote many of his new songs with Hayd. One such song is “Yosemite and the Valley of Death," inspired by his experience at Glacier National Park, where the grandeur of nature put life's problems into perspective.
Towards the end of the evening, Peña broke away from his originals to deliver his iconic cover of Kid Cudi’s “Pursuit of Happiness.” Transforming the rap song into an indie acoustic cover, Peña makes the song entirely his own. Peña concluded the night with his breakout hit “Hey Lovely.” Written when he was 17, the song still holds up.
If you have a chance to see Chance Peña before the end of his tour, don’t miss out! His performance will enthrall you and leave you aching for more. Get tickets here.
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