Young the Giant | Nashville, TN
Young The Giant’s 2023 summer tour with Milky Chance and Rosa Linn passed through Nashville. Despite sweltering temperatures and threats of rain, the tour left positive memories on the lawn of Ascend Amphitheater.
With just her guitars and a loop pedal, Rosa Linn opened the show. The crowd was completely silent as they watched her set up each song by singing a few measures of beats and harmonies into the loop pedal and cycling it back. A cover of Stevie Nicks’ “If I Were You” appeared halfway through the set to the surprise of the audience and Rosa Linn completely redeveloped the song to be her own.
Milky Chance took the stage right as the sun began to set. Beginning with “Synchronize”, each song blended into the next seamlessly without interrupting the flow of the evening. A “Tainted Love” cover got the few remaining seated attendees to get up on their feet. The band finished with “Sweet Sun” and left the crowd cheering for more and excitedly awaiting the headliner.
Young the Giant managed to successfully pull off something many artists attempt but don’t always manage to accomplish: organizing the set into acts, the same way their latest album American Bollywood is divided. The set began, of course, with Act 1: Origins and opened with American Bollywood’s title track. Every member appeared to be caught in their own world while still keeping in perfect sync with one another. Lead singer, Sameer Gadhia, had a stage presence and energy unmatched with most other artists, somehow managing to appear to be performing to every audience member personally and simultaneously for no one but himself and the band. Before transitioning into Act 2: Exile, the band took a moment to reminisce on the last time they had played in Nashville, four years ago and everything that’s come since that time. Soon, Act 2 rolled into Act 3: Battle and then into Act 4: Denouement. The short video interludes broke up the set without feeling clunky and managed to make the night feel like it was flying by. After “Mind Over Matter” concluded Act 4, the band left the stage momentarily before coming back for a 5-song encore, beginning with “Firelight”. Gadhia explained how “Firelight” is about losses and gains in life, the normal and boring things we remember, and asked the audience to shine any lights they may have during the song. As the night finally concluded, fans of all ages and backgrounds left with smiles on their faces discussing the songs, the stage props, and other favorite moments.
Young the Giant, Milky Chance, and Rosa Linn are on tour in the US through the end of August.
