Crafting music that can be described as lo-fi, story-rich, intimate and sentimental, Mendez spent the evening stripping back his songs to the necessities (an acoustic guitar and an analog synthesizer). He walked quietly onto the dimly-lit stage at Schubas without announcing his presence and began playing.

I had the pleasure of attending his joint-headline show with Allegra Krieger, with hemlock as the opener. When played live, each one of Mendez’ songs felt especially raw and confessive, with lyrics exploring themes of drug-use, heartbreak and insecurity. To say the audience was gripped would be an understatement. Never have I been at a show so quiet — you could hear a pin drop. Fans in the front row looked up at Mendez, mouthing the words to “Maria” (his most popular song) rather than singing them out loud so as to not detract from his vocals.

As a huge fan of the late Elliott Smith, I was instantaneously reminded of him upon hearing Mendez’ sound. Besides the fact that neither artists are particularly keen public-speakers while on stage, what struck me as their greatest similarity is their ability to create music out of hardships. Mendez and Smith share another fact in common: they do not need elaborate instrumentation nor powerful vocals to captivate an audience.

Several songs featured Mendez’ partner, Veronica “V” Isley, singing in hauntingly beautiful harmony. Additionally, musician Ella O’Connor Williams (better known as Squirrel Flower) joined Mendez from the crowd to sing “Best Behavior,” a heart-felt, yearning song which struck an emotional chord with the audience.

The venue, with its small stage, warm lighting and homely ambience, brought a rare closeness between artists and audience. At the end of the show, Mendez left the stage by walking through the crowd, since there is no back-stage or side-door. I was left with tender feelings of reflection paired with excitement to see what more Mendez has to offer.