Downtown Albany’s Empire Live has hosted a number of sold out shows since opening their doors in late 2021. Saturday night, November 5, 2022 Teddy Swims came to town and raised the bar. The show sold out weeks in advance, with many folks clamoring for the few tickets left on reselling sites like StubHub.
Fans packed into the venue, filling it from the front rail all the way to the back bar area. While close confines can sometimes breed hostility at concerts, this one was different. People seemed genuinely happy to be in attendance to witness this performance and to be around fellow fans.
When Swims hit the stage around 9pm with his backing band Freak Freely, the collective Albany crowd roared in appreciation. The audience sang along word for word from the first notes of “Till I Change Your Mind” off of his 2021 release Unlearning to the last notes of “Bed on Fire” from the same release.
This is an artist that has thrived outside of the traditional music industry machine. He is selling out tour dates without the help of radio. Swims started out by posting clever covers on YouTube. Fans were hooked immediately. As his fan base continued to grow, he started releasing original material which went over just as well as the covers. While he may not be getting the radio play that he deserves he has certainly staked his claim as an artist to watch. He has worked with musical heavyweights like Neal Schon of Journey, Country music superstar Thomas Rhett, Meaghan Trainor and the up and coming Ingrid Andress. They say that talent recognizes talent. Clearly there is something to that old cliché.
Halfway through the show he did a four song acoustic, unplugged set which brought him back to his YouTube roots. A stellar rendition of his song “Amazing” was dedicated to his girlfriend who joined him on stage while he sang. He then played the song that started it all for him. His acoustic, R&B/Soul version of the Shania Twain classic “Still the One” was the song that really launched his online presence. Swims acknowledged as much and thanked everyone in attendance for their continued support.
Swims released his most recent EP Sleep Is Exhausting the day before the Albany show. He played several tracks off of the new release including the fun, infectious “Devil In A Dress” and the heartbreaking “Someone Who Loved You.” He noted that most of his songs fall into two categories, songs about sex and songs about heartbreak. Perhaps that is why so many people gravitate toward his music.
Los Angeles based singer/songwriter Sean Jacobs who goes by the name CVBZ (pronounced CUBS) opened the show with a high energy set. Backed by drummer Tommy Oerding, Jacobs did a great job preparing the crowd for the arrival of the headliner. His songs are hook laden and catchy. One particular “earworm” is his single “Vicodin” from 2017. It is one of those songs that gets in your brain and stays there. For any of the readers that haven’t had an opportunity to hear either artist, I encourage you to take some time and head over to YouTube, thank me later.
Once again the staff at Empire Live went above and beyond for the folks in attendance. The temperature outside was unseasonably warm. With over 1000 people in the room, the temperature inside got a little toasty. I personally watched as security handed out several cases of bottled water to fans, at no cost. Little things like this go a long way. I have been to hundreds of concerts in my life. There are a handful of shows that stand out above others. Shows where you realize you are in the presence of greatness just before the artist really takes off. This was one of those nights. I don’t believe that the Capital District will ever see Teddy Swims at a venue this intimate.
