A Rough Start Gives Way to a Masterful Night
Grand Casino Arena. The last time I was here was for one of my favorite shows of the year when Bring Me The Horizon brought their epic tour through town, so Teddy Swims had some pretty big shoes to fill.
Thankfully, by the time the night was over, Teddy had done more than enough to overflow them.
The night, however, started off a little rough. And, admittedly, that was completely on me.
After making the four hour drive to the venue, getting inside and picking up my media pass was easy enough. I was told where we would meet to be escorted to the photo area, so I found my way around the venue and waited.
And waited.
As the first band’s scheduled start time got closer and closer, I started wondering where everyone was. Eventually, I found out what’d happened.
My approval was only for the headliner. Not the openers.
I went back through the approval email to make sure I hadn’t somehow missed something, and sure enough, there was nothing stating that I had access to the opening acts. Normally, this is something I confirm ahead of time, but this time around, I dropped the ball.
And because I had driven four hours to be there, realizing that mistake was understandably frustrating.
A huge thank you goes out to Tess and Carrie from Grand Casino Arena, who did everything they could to try to get things sorted out. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much that could be done, so I ultimately brushed it aside, made my way to my seat and reminded myself that I still had Teddy Swims to look forward to.
As it turns out, that was more than enough.
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MarcLo Brings His Songwriting Experience to the Stage
The first artist for the night was MarcLo, a singer, songwriter and producer whose resume is significantly more impressive than I initially realized.
He has songwriting credits connected to artists including Dua Lipa, Miley Cyrus and, fittingly, the headliner of the evening, Teddy Swims.
So while I walked into his set not knowing many of the songs he performed as a solo artist, there was a good chance I had heard his influence somewhere along the way.
Unfortunately, because of my earlier media access mix-up, I missed the first couple of songs of his set. What I did catch, though, showed plenty of promise.
MarcLo was essentially a one man band, handling his own instruments while also moving around the stage and working to get the crowd engaged. That’s no small task when you’re opening an arena show by yourself.
He also mentioned that this was his first ever tour, which made watching the performance even more interesting. There was a sense that we were getting an early look at an artist who’s still figuring out exactly what his solo career is going to become.
Based on what I saw, there’s plenty of potential there.
It will be interesting to see where MarcLo goes from here.
Mac Ayres Brings the Groove
Next up was Mac Ayres, a three piece group that brought a completely different energy to the evening.
Where MarcLo leaned heavily into the one man band approach, Mac Ayres settled into a smooth R&B groove that carried throughout the arena.
And I have to admit, it got me moving in my seat a few times.
There was something incredibly easy about settling into the groove of this set. Mac’s vocals were another highlight, fitting perfectly with the musical style and adding another layer to the overall atmosphere.
The set also seemed to fly by.
Maybe that was because I was enjoying it so much. Maybe it was because I was still counting down the minutes until Teddy took the stage. Either way, it felt like Mac Ayres accomplished exactly what an opening act should do.
And then came the moment that really got everyone locked back in.
The unmistakable sound of the Backstreet Boys came through the arena as Mac Ayres launched into a cover of “I Want It That Way.”
At that point, there was no question that the crowd was ready.
A Collector’s Dream Before the Show Even Started
Before Teddy even took the stage, Grand Casino Arena had already given me something that immediately caught my attention.
When I first entered the building, I saw a QR code advertising a tour exclusive vinyl for Teddy’s upcoming unreleased album, “Ugly.”
And it was only available to preorder at a concert.
As someone who loves collecting physical music, this was basically an invitation I couldn’t refuse.
So, naturally, I ordered one.
It was a fun little bonus before the show even began, and it made the experience feel a little more personal than simply walking into an arena, watching a concert and walking back out.
But the vinyl was only the beginning.
Because then, it was Teddy time.
Teddy Swims Takes Over the Arena
I don’t think I can adequately describe how excited I was to finally see Teddy Swims live.
There’s something about Teddy that makes him incredibly easy to root for.
It’s the charisma. The awkwardness. The kindness.
The way he interacts with his audience.
The tattoos. The personality.
And, of course, there’s that voice.
Teddy has one of those voices that almost doesn’t seem like it should come from the person producing it. He has this larger than life vocal ability that comes from a guy whose appearance and personality initially might not lead you to expect what you’re about to hear.
And that contrast is part of what makes him so captivating.
Even before Teddy appeared, the energy inside Grand Casino Arena was already building.
Part of that was thanks to what I can only describe as one of the strangest and most entertaining concert intermissions I’ve experienced.
A “janitor” came onto the stage with a radio sitting on top of his mop bucket, blasting classic ‘90s songs while he danced around the stage and worked the crowd.
And honestly?
It was so much fun.
It was such a refreshing change from the usual random playlist being pumped through the PA while everyone waits.
The arena was already buzzing.
Then the curtain dropped.
A Three Story Hotel Becomes Teddy’s Playground
The stage design was immediately one of the biggest visual highlights of the night.
Behind Teddy was a massive three story set piece designed to look like the side of an old school hotel building. Teddy was positioned on scaffolding that slowly lowered him down to “street” level as the show began.
It was an incredible entrance.
And the set wasn’t simply there to look pretty.
Throughout the performance, Teddy would climb the fire escape stairs on either side of the structure, turning the entire set into part of the performance.
It gave the show a theatrical quality that elevated it beyond simply watching an artist perform songs on a stage.
The set itself became part of the storytelling.
And then there was the hot dog cannon.
Yes.
You read that correctly.
A hot dog cannon.
The Hot Dog Cannon
During “Another Thing Coming,” a hot dog cart was rolled onto the stage.
At first, I was confused.
What did a hot dog cart have to do with anything?
As it turns out, absolutely nothing.
Teddy apparently just wanted to set up his next feat.
After arming what looked like a hot dog themed cannon, he proceeded to fire actual hot dogs into the audience.
Real hot dogs.
Flying through an arena.
I genuinely don’t know what else to say about it.
It was one of the most hilarious and completely unexpected things I’ve ever witnessed at a concert.
There are plenty of artists who can put on a technically impressive arena production.
But how many of them are going to shoot hot dogs into the crowd?
Turning “Bad Dreams” Into a Nightmare
One of the most visually impressive moments of the night came during “Bad Dreams.”
The song began with Teddy lying on a bed on the third story of the set. A camera positioned above him captured the moment as he sang, creating an intimate visual despite the massive size of the arena.
Then the scene began to transform.
Teddy left the room, and suddenly the environment around him changed.
Walls appeared to crack. Nightmare inspired paintings moved in the background, almost like the kind of creepy artwork you might see decorating a Halloween attraction.
Shadows with teeth raced across the walls.
The entire set took on this unsettling, dreamlike quality that perfectly complemented the song.
It was another example of how much thought went into the production.
Teddy wasn’t simply singing “Bad Dreams.”
He was creating an entire world around the song.
Sometimes Less Really Is More
And then came the part of the show I always hope for at arena concerts.
The stripped down section.
I’ve said this before, and I’ll probably say it every single time I experience it.
Give me an artist sitting down with an acoustic instrument in a giant arena, stripping away the massive production and simply singing, and I’m probably going to love it.
Watching an arena full of people get quiet for a moment while the artist relies almost entirely on their voice and the song itself just hits differently.
Teddy leaned into that during several songs throughout the evening.
But he also used the opportunity to connect directly with the audience.
Before the show, fans were given a QR code where they could submit song requests. During this unplugged portion of the performance, Teddy responded to those requests by performing “She Loves The Rain.”
That was such a cool touch.
Every city doesn’t necessarily get exactly the same show based on the fans requests.
The audience gets a chance to influence what Teddy performs, which means there’s an element of unpredictability and personalization attached to the experience.
I wish more artists would do things like this.
In an era where so many tours can feel meticulously rehearsed down to the smallest detail, giving the audience even a little bit of influence can make a concert feel like something that belongs specifically to that city.
Teddy’s Connection With His Audience
There was also another feature throughout the show that showed an impressive example of multitasking that I can’t say I’ve seen from a performer.
Teddy was grabbing signs from people in the audience and signing them while continuing to sing.
Think about that for a second.
You’re performing in front of thousands of people.
You’re singing live.
You’re grabbing a sign from someone in the crowd.
You’re signing it.
You’re handing it back.
And somehow you’re still managing to stay on pitch and not miss a beat.
That’s an impressive level of confidence on stage.
More importantly, though, it reinforced one of the things that stood out to me throughout the night.
Teddy genuinely seemed to enjoy being there.
The interaction didn’t feel like something he was simply checking off a list.
There was a looseness and personality to the evening that made the arena feel less like a giant room filled with strangers and more like a massive group of people who’d all shown up to have a good time together.
Afterglow
Looking back at the beginning of the evening, it’s almost funny how frustrated I was when things didn’t go according to plan.
After a four hour drive, finding out that my media approval didn’t include the opening acts wasn’t exactly how I wanted the night to begin.
But sometimes you just have to roll with it.
And once Teddy Swims took the stage, that frustration became an afterthought.
The combination of Teddy’s incredible voice, his personality, the audience interaction, the massive set, the visual production, the acoustic moments, the spontaneous song requests and, of course, the absolutely ridiculous hot dog cannon made for one incredibly entertaining evening.
Teddy Swims didn’t simply give me another memorable night at Grand Casino Arena. He gave me a completely different kind of memorable night.
And honestly, I’m glad I got to experience it.
There are still plenty of opportunities to catch The Ugly Tour live, so if Teddy Swims is coming to a city near you, go see him.
I can pretty much guarantee you’ll have a blast.
And hey...
You might even catch a hot dog.
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