Watching Teddy Swims live was a little like watching someone crack open their ribcage and hand you their heart – his May 21st stop at the Michigan Lottery Amphitheater was a lesson in vulnerability and stage presence; with an hour and a half of soul, sweat, and full-body vocals that left the crowd reeling in the best way.
For those unfamiliar, Teddy Swims isn’t your typical overnight success story. Born Jaten Dimsdale in Georgia, he got his start uploading stripped-down, soul-drenched covers to YouTube – fusing his gospel upbringing, metal band past, and Southern roots into something completely unique. What started in his bedroom grew into a global fanbase which eventually, turned into a record deal – and now? A near sold-out tour supporting his newest release: I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2).
From the second he appeared onstage, Swims had Detroit in the palm of his hand. He opened with “Not Your Man” and “Hammer to the Heart,” diving straight into the kind of gut-punch ballads that have become his signature. It didn’t take long to realize: this wasn’t just a concert for most of the audience, it was a collective catharsis.
The setlist leaned heavily into the emotional storytelling Swims is known and adored for. Tracks like “Are You Even Real” and “Bad Dreams” were as haunting as they were honest while “Devil in a Dress” felt like a bluesy confession. And when he finally launched into “Lose Control,” the song that skyrocketed him to mainstream radio, the entire amphitheater turned into a choir. Arms in the air, people belting like they’d waited their whole lives to scream those lyrics – It was truly electric.
Other highlights included “Funeral,” “911,” and an unexpected but beautifully delivered cover of Illenium’s “All That Really Matters.” Each song felt like its own emotional universe, held together by Swims’ powerhouse vocals and a band that knew exactly when to lean in and when to pull back.
Here’s what the Detroit crowd got that night:
- Not Your Man
- Hammer to the Heart
- Apple Juice
- She Loves the Rain
- Are You Even Real
- Devil in a Dress
- Bad Dreams
- It Ain’t Easy
- Funeral
- What More Can I Say
- 911
- Black & White
- If You Ever Change Your Mind
- All That Really Matters (ILLENIUM cover)
- Some Things I’ll Never Know
- Northern Lights
- Guilty
- Tell Me
- Use Somebody (Kings of Leon cover)
- Your Kind of Crazy
- Lose Control
Encore:
- Bed on Fire
- Goodbye’s Been Good to You
- The Door
There’s something about Teddy’s live show that strips away pretension. It’s a little flashy but never overproduced, making it feel intimate even in a massive venue like Freedom Hill. He doesn’t just perform his songs, he lives them and it felt everyone was being invited to live them too.
In a landscape full of polished pop and strategic branding, Teddy Swims reminded me what real artistry sounds like – a little messy, but unapologetically human. And on this night in Metro Detroit, that was more than enough.
All photos by Gabriella Csapo:
