Teddy Swims‘ The Ugly Tour made its stop in Montreal last night, bringing together three acts at very different stages of their careers. Marclo, embarking on his very first tour, opened the evening alongside St. Paul & The Broken Bones and Teddy Swims, two acts with considerably more road miles under their belts. Yet, despite their touring experience, both were stepping onto the Bell Centre stage for the very first time. The arena appeared packed, with a crowd that gave the impression of a near-capacity, if not sold-out, show.
Marclo
Marclo opened the night with a captivating, minimalist performance that immediately drew attention. Performing solo while moving between instruments, he created surprising depth, experimenting with a looper as early as his second song. Dancing around the stage and clearly enjoying every second, he brought an infectious energy to the set. His vocals really stood out on “Body on Me” when the crowd started getting involved, phones in the air.
St. Paul & The Broken Bones
For me, the most captivating performance of the night came from St. Paul & The Broken Bones. They took us straight on a journey to Alabama, delivering a soul masterclass that felt almost like being transported into a church somewhere in the American South. They offered us a breathtaking vocal introduction with the song “Nothing More Lonely”, everything was on point and the crowd was hooked. The influence of gospel was unmistakable, particularly through the organ and powerful arrangements. Paul even shared how deeply his childhood was shaped by the church and gospel music, an influence that remains unmistakable in his voice and the band’s sound.
Visually, Paul’s bright orange overcoat contrasted beautifully with the burgundy suits worn by the rest of the band. His hypnotic stage presence, dance moves and playful interactions with the crowd made it impossible to look away. The audience was hooked from the very first note. “Sushi & Coca-Cola”, “Call Me” and “Flow With It (You Got Me Feeling Like)” were clear crowd favourites, getting some of the strongest reactions of the night.
Teddy Swims
Then came Teddy Swims, turning the venue into a full-blown Atlanta party. The curtain dropped, “The Door” kicked in, and the crowd was on its feet almost immediately. With massive production and pyro, the show had no shortage of spectacle. Teddy was even launching hot dogs into the crowd with a massive hot dog cannon, and the little girl in front of me actually caught one to everyone’s amusement. But beneath the theatrics was a genuinely great vocalist. Teddy gave his band and backing choir plenty of room to shine, proving the show was about more than just the man at the microphone. The crowd especially went wild for “Bad Dreams” and song after song revealed just how impressive his catalogue has become in such a short time.
One of the night’s best moments came when he stripped everything back for a piano and vocal performance. Before the show, Teddy’s team had made a QR code available for fans to vote on B-sides that weren’t part of the regular setlist, performing the chosen songs acoustically as a way to give something back to his fans. It was yet another reflection of his genuine gratitude for the night, as he reminded us, visibly emotional and followed by a massive standing ovation, that just three years ago, he was playing the Theatre Beanfield. The room fell into silence before erupting into a massive standing ovation. Visibly emotional, Teddy told us it was the best night of his life since the birth of his child. It was a beautiful reminder of the person behind the larger-than-life production.
Between voting on new songs, a Van Halen cover of “Jump”, a massive singalong to Shania Twain’s “You’re Still the One” and a spectacular finale, Teddy kept the crowd engaged from beginning to end. Yet his ability to move from explosive arena production to intimate, emotionally charged vocals was what impressed me most. The song “Some Things I’ll Never Know” was clearly the highlight of his acoustic set.
Just before “Something ’Bout a Woman” the stage underwent a wild set transformation, featuring a giant skeleton head that recreated the look of an Atlanta store previously seen in Teddy’s music videos and he even crashed a truck onto the stage in an explosion of special effect for the song “Goodbye’s Been Good to You”. A crazy attention to detail that made the whole production even more immersive.
But the moment everyone had been waiting for, and undoubtedly the highlight of the night, was “Lose Control”. With the crowd singing their hearts out alongside him, Teddy delivered a powerful finale before riding off on a tricycle in a spectacular explosion of confetti.
Three very different performances, but one common denominator: exceptional vocals, great musicianship and artists who know how to connect with a crowd. Marclo showed the power of simplicity. St. Paul & The Broken Bones reminded us how transcendent soul music can be. And Teddy Swims proved that spectacular production and genuine musical talent can coexist beautifully.
Review – Kevin Morency
Photos – Andres Amaya
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