PHOTOS / MALLORY TURNER
STORY / MICHELLE HARGREAVES
He stood on the sidewalk in a bright blue, Nashville-superstar-style long jacket, dripping with white fringe, complete with sequined rose and cacti detailing spilling down the back. His eyes were shielded with rose-tinted glasses a la John Lennon, his head capped with a black beanie. As we walked by to the venue entrance, he called to us, “I love your pants! (they were 90s throwback floral) I love your hair color! (it was neon cotton candy pink).”
There’s no better way to describe morgxn than this encounter. He speaks his mind straight from his heart, spreads love whenever given the chance, and expresses himself without fear — truly authentic down to his core. He’s not only a talented musician, but a talented human connector. In a room full of people, morgxn has the ability to draw the crowd in and make them feel like each song lyric was written just for them.
This is just what happened on the night I had the chance to see morgxn in Los Angeles.
On this particular night, morgxn teamed with AirBnB for a live listening party to celebrate the release of his first album, “VITAL,” out now on wanderlost/Hollywood Records.
AirBnB has recently began partnering with emerging artists to produce intimate performances in unique spaces. With a limited number of tickets and a small group of friends, family, and fans, it was the perfect match to debut morgxn’s passionate and honest work.
This night, morgxn invited listeners to an art gallery situated in a loft in Downtown LA. In true morgxn fashion, the space was both artistic and quirky, complete with an airstream trailer, fairy lights, spiral staircases, and artwork created by the youth of Covenant House — the organization benefiting from the night’s proceeds, and one close to morgxn’s heart.
Covenant House is a unique organization that works with homeless, runaway, and trafficked youth, giving them immediate care and housing, as well as providing them with long-term support and life skills. morgxn has worked closely with the group over the past year, his music providing an avenue of healing and a way for the young people to connect and communicate through their pain. He invited the youth of Covenant House to create portraits and photography that expressed what is VITAL to them, displaying their artwork in the lobby and challenging the night’s attendees to reflect on the word VITAL as well.
The performance itself was beautiful, intense and delicate at the same time, full of soul-baring honesty. morgxn pared down the songs of the VITAL album to just piano, a string quartet, and his angelic, soulful voice. This acoustic reimagining of his songs allowed his storytelling to shine, emphasizing his ability to make his listeners feel like his songs were written just for them.
As he walked the audience through his writing process, song by song, morgxn became extremely emotional more than once — barely holding back tears. His honesty kept the audience holding their breath — so silent you could hear a pin drop — every person in the room fully engaged with the magic of a truly beautiful, authentic, and unique performer.
It’s difficult to narrow down a standout song from the night, with excellent performances of his singles “home” and “carry the weight,” but his cover of The Cure’s “Boys Don’t Cry” was truly magical and breathtaking. morgxn showed off his stellar vocal range and control on this challenging track, hitting the high notes with ease while never losing his ability to connect to his audience.
In the current social media powered landscape, it’s refreshing to find an artist who is truly authentic, someone who lives their truth outwardly for all to see, and encourages his listeners to do the same. He speaks from the heart–and his music reflects this. His lyrics that are emotionally powerful and resonate in every listener’s heart. morgxn’s live show is truly a can’t-miss night of artistry that is rare gem in the today’s world of flashy and over-the-top performances.
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