From the moment Teddy Swims descended on a platform within the cityscape set to the moment he pedaled off on his tricycle as confetti filled the arena, he had the audience at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena in the palm of his hand.
The show was packed with memorable moments. Swims revealed the gender of a baby for an expecting couple, shared new music from his upcoming record, and fed the audience hot dogs alongside Trailer Trash Tammy. He did it all with a voice that feels like a warm hug on a cold day.
That same voice silenced an arena full of fans during a stripped-down portion of the show, when Swims and two of his longtime band members performed as an acoustic trio. Fans get to select two songs at each stop on the tour, and in Nashville, they chose “Amazing” and “She Loves the Rain.”
While the music and band spoke for themselves, the production was equally impressive. Swims, who grew up just outside Atlanta, Georgia, paid homage to his hometown with a detailed cityscape set featuring spray-painted Georgia peaches, a replica sign from The Masquerade nightclub, and nods to Atlanta’s motor motels. At one point, the stage also featured a massive replica of the skull that sits outside The Vortex in Little Five Points.
The Ugly Tour kicked off in September in Kansas City and runs through November 18 in Los Angeles.
