Teddy Swims Sells Out Legendary Downtown LA Venue With An Emotional Performance

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Teddy Swims put on a passionate performance on Friday, October 20^th during his Los Angeles stop on the I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy tour at The Wiltern. Backed by 5-piece Freak Freely, who he often referred to throughout the night as his best friends, kept the crowd captivated and emersed in the music. The tour name comes from his first album released September 15, 2023 after releasing four EPs and countless singles. Swims made a name for himself in the YouTube world singing covers, but it wasn’t until 4 years ago, when he paid homage to Michael Jackson, singing his song “Rock with You” that he became a viral sensation. The video has now more than 9 million views on YouTube.

The Georgia born singer opened the show with “911”, getting the crowd dancing and singing from the very beginning. “Don’t Stop Believin” followed, and as an artist and karaoke lover favorite, Swims’ rendition of this popular Journey song was nothing like I’ve ever heard before. His soulful voice brought a great original tone to the beloved rock song. During “Devil in a Dress”, the lights turned completely red to give that extra underworld feeling.

Swims expressed his amazing story-telling skills throughout his performance. Bringing in “What More Can I Say”, he gave a quick anecdote about getting in trouble with an ex-girlfriend. The singer explains how getting a new phone doesn’t mean starting with a blank slate. Of course, iPhones have a feature called iCloud that keeps all your old photos stored away. Needless to say, there may have been some promiscuous photos of past lovers involved. It gave the crowd a laugh, including myself.

Midway through the set, Swims performed “Lose Control’, a crowd favorite. The venue roared as the fans sang every word. “Amazing” followed as he dedicated the love ballad to fans who came with their significant others. His stage tech brought out a stool for him and his guitarist, Jesse Hampton, to perform acoustic versions of “Simple Things” and Shania Twain cover, “You’re Still the One”, which he dedicated to his mother.

Swims feeds the crowd insight into the meanings behind the songs of his new album, but the next segment of the show made the singer visibly choked up and emotional. He spoke on ending relationships and how sometimes you don’t get the closure you need to move forward. Wiping tears from his eyes, Swims sang “Some Things I’ll Never Know” off his new album. Swims was beautifully accompanied by his keyboard player, Jairus Hardge. Fans cried with him including a father and his 9-year-old son who wrote to Teddy’s Instagram, “It was such a lovely moment to watch him (his son) feel music the way I have my whole life and for him to see another man be vulnerable and powerful all in one moment. Thank you for bringing yourself to the stage.” Teddy achieved exactly that: his authentic, raw, and honest-self to The Wiltern, and gave the crowd a beautiful heartfelt show.

Teddy Swims ended the night with “The Door” and “Bed on Fire” leaving fans with an amazing show. Los Angeles cannot wait to have him and his band again! Catch him at a city near you by visiting his website. It’s a show you do not want to miss.

Teddy Swims – October 20, 2023 – The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA.

Photos by: Elizabeth Villagomez

Upcoming Tour Dates:

WED, OCT 25 – THE ORPHEUM – VANCOUVER, CANADA

THU, OCT 26 – SHOWBOX SODO – SEATTLE, WA

SAT, OCT 28 – THE COMPLEX – SALT LAKE CITY, UT

SUN, OCT 29 – MISSION BALLROOM – DENVER, CO

TUE, OCT 31 – THE ADMIRAL THEATER – OMAHA, NE

WED, NOV 1 – ARVEST BANK THEATRE AT THE MIDLAND – KANSAS CITY, MO

FRI, NOV 3 – EGYPTIAN ROOM AT OLD NATIONAL CENTRE – INDIANAPOLIS, IN

SAT, NOV 4 – BOGART’S – CINCINNATI, OH

SUN, NOV 5 – AGORA THEATER & BALLROOM – CLEVELAND, OH