Rapper Kid Quill makes wishes come true at Indianapolis homecoming show

Kid Quill performed as big as the moment Thursday night at Deluxe in Old National Centre.

The rapper joined a short list of Indiana musicians who can headline a national tour and make a hometown stop at a venue as big as Deluxe.

As one of about a dozen acts in this category, Kid Quill showcased road-tested confidence and vivid storytelling for a room of 500 young fans who already know the words.

His well-paced set list included almost everything from current album "Sunset Diner," including infectious single "Make a Wish" and its interpolation of 1980 Ambrosia hit "Biggest Part of Me."

Quill, a Shelbyville native otherwise known as Mitch Brown, immersed himself in pop-rock songs from the 1970s and '80s when making "Sunset Diner."

The lineup of songs heard over the PA before Thursday's performance included John Mellencamp's "Jack & Diane," Journey's "Don't Stop Believin' " and King Harvest's "Dancing in the Moonlight."

Quill made a direct reference to the King Harvest oldie during his opening number, "Streetlights": “I be dancing in the moonlight, 1972 is what the mood like."

Billed as a concept album, "Sunset Diner" offers a connected thread of lyrics based on where the mind and heart go between dusk and dawn. The moon serves as Quill's sounding board and confidant.

But he also raps about a desire for genuine, palpable accomplishment in the waking hours, as heard in this "Streetlights" line: “What’s 15 minutes of fame? I need at least an hour before I leave this stage.”

Accompanied by trumpet player Connor May and keyboard player Jonny Weatherly (two Indianapolis musicians), Quill touted his independent status on "Wait Here": "I've got so much soul, they cannot control me."

An energetic audience sang along to that no-sellout mantra, with May adding horn licks reminiscent of Stevie Wonder's "Sir Duke."

While Quill builds his career without music industry help/interference, he wants you to know he's probably at a recording studio ("My favorite mixed drink is tequila and Pro Tools," from "Sunset" selection "Door Closed") and the struggle is real ("My microphone got tear stains," from 2018 single "Rain, Rain").

Quill's Hoosier pride was on full display at Deluxe, signaled by a blue-and-gold letter jacket and an Indiana T-shirt accented by the state seal.

An outline of the Indianapolis skyline was seen on a video screen during one song, and Quill didn't dare exit without performing "Sunset" track "Indiana."

His lyrics split the difference between pop-country nostalgia and early Bruce Springsteen, when the Boss crammed an improbable amount of words into incredible tales.

Consider the memories Quill shares on "Jukebox": “Backwoods and back seats, we were flying through all the back streets when the cops turned all our parties into track meets. Make me feel like I’m in high school.”

There's also a smidgen of Twenty One Pilots' wistfulness in Quill's 2018 single "Kids in the Summer": “Now that I'm older, I want to be younger. Now that I'm wiser, I want to  be dumber."

A showman's myth-building in the tradition of Billy Joel's "Piano Man" and Jackson Browne's "The Load Out" arrived with Quill's "The Opener."

Released on 2017 album "94.3 The Reel," "The Opener" discusses dues paid by a supporting act. Quill saved the song for Thursday's encore, a clever parting shot from a freshly minted headliner.

Next week's schedule includes a show at New York City's Mercury Lounge for Quill, who's bold enough to call himself one of the most overlooked talents in the game.

It's difficult to argue with that sentiment.

He has a passionate and growing fan base, which means he doesn't need a mainstream hit to get work. If a single happens to break through, Quill is ready to show the masses the depth of his craft.

Thursday's set list

1. “Streetlights”

2. “Playlist”

3. “Rain, Rain”

4. “Door Closed”

5. “Wait Here”

6. “Jukebox”

7. “Good AM” interlude

8. “Last Night I Had a Dream”

9. “Indiana”

10. “Soapbox”

11. “Kids in the Summer”

12. “White Shoes”

13. “1,001 Reasons”

14. “Daily Routine”

15. “Small Talk”

16. “Make a Wish”

17. “Chat (w/the Sky)”

Encore

18. “The Opener”

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Call Indy Star reporter David Lindquist at 317-444-6404. Follow him on Twitter: @317Lindquist.