About a year ago I interviewed musician Frankie Torres. Last week I had the pleasure of meeting her and seeing her perform in Chicago.

A Minnesota native, Torres joined School of Rock when she was 8. At 14, her initial audition for The Voice was derailed by illness. About a decade later, Torres auditioned again and made it to the knockout round on Season 26 of The Voice. Despite not winning, she achieved a rare four-chair turn, as all four judges wanted her on their team.

Since then, Torres was named official national anthem singer for the Minnesota Frost of the Professional Women’s Hockey League. She also sang it at a Minnesota Vikings game. Her current tour is with Adam Bohanan, another Minnesota musician contestant she met on The Voice.

Prior to the show, Jodie and I stumbled upon Logan 11, a nearby pub with a great vibe. We split a grilled chicken sandwich, chicken tenders and homemade fries. All were outstanding, but the real stars were the sauces. The mayo, guac, honey mustard and blue cheese were all made there, and they were amazing. Unfortunately, they do not sell them separately, but that’s just another reason for a return trip.

Quite full, we headed to Cafe Mustache, found a close table and saw Bohanan take the stage. I admit I was unfamiliar with him but was pleasantly surprised. I can’t quite place another musician as comparison. The closest I came was Jack Johnson, but that isn’t a great fit. I’m still thinking, though.

After his set, Torres was up. She started with an original, then did a fantastic cover of Janis Joplin’s “Bobby McGee.” Torres commented her heart is in that type of rock, and she has the chops for it. She did a few other originals, including “Losing to the Letters,” a beautiful song about her father and ALS. Although already polished during her appearances on The Voice, Torres has honed her skills even more. At 26, she has a lot of potential.

Afterwards, we chatted with both musicians. Although new to both, Jodie is now a fan, too. We look forward to their return as well as Torres’ upcoming album release.

— John Wroblewski, podcaster