Review: Teddy Swims @ Hindley Street Music Hall

American R&B crooner Teddy Swims delivered a spellbinding performance to an adoring South Australian crowd at his sold out show earlier this week.

Words and Images by Michael Lockheart

Returning to Australian shores for the second time in a year, soulful Atlanta-based singer-songwriter Teddy Swims took to the stage at Adelaide's Hindley St Music Hall once again to deliver a spellbinding performance to an adoring South Australian crowd.

Dreary wet weather didn’t deter the 1,600-strong audience from braving the elements, with the queue going all the way around the block with people eager to secure a great spot in the brilliant auditorium. Once inside, their patience was rewarded with tour opener Meg Mac’s captivating performance, showcasing her remarkably personal songwriting and extraordinary vocal talent.

Performing a stripped-back set, Mac, along with her sister Hannah, handled percussion on opening song, ‘Maybe It’s My First Time’. Sticking to lively and cheerful numbers throughout the set, Mac also took the opportunity to perform unreleased material, much to the crowd’s delight. There’s an earnest relatability to her thought-provoking prose, something everyone in attendance could attest to during her wonderful opening slot.

Headliner Swims was a man needing little introduction. His larger-than-life personality on stage both swaggered and crooned as Hindley St Music Hall lit up from the glow of sparklers spraying light behind Swims’ assembled band. Opening with ‘Goodbye’s Been Good to You’, joy emanated from Swms and the players of Freak Freely, his talented backing band.

With beaming faces lining the front rows often catching Swims eyes, the volume of the audience’s singalong matched the hitmaker’s own belting vocal performance. Bespectacled behind ruby red shades and a baseball cap, Swims would push his glasses above his head to peer at his crowd with his piercing eyes and enigmatic facial tattoos, inviting them into his jovial world.

A standout moment of the set was ‘Devil in a Dress’, a sultry, blues-infused track that had the audience mesmerized. Swims’ affable stage presence and captivating storytelling were on full display, drawing everyone into the narrative of the song. Freak Freely’s musical prowess shone brightly during the climax of the song as they crescendoed in a progressive rock overload, evoking a New York show band and rock opera spectacular all in one. Their performance throughout the night added an entirely new dimension to Swims’ album tracks in the live setting that would have impressed even the toughest of music critics.

‘Some Things I'll Never Know’ made for a poignant highlight of the evening. Swims’ heartfelt delivery of the ballad, the opening track from his 2023 LP, I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy Pt.1, was deeply moving, capturing the essence of longing and introspection. The stripped-back arrangement allowed his vocals to shine, resonating with everyone in the room. It was a powerful moment that showcased Swims’ ability to connect with the punters on an emotional level.

Returning to bombastic showmanship to close out the set, including a ripping cover of Shania Twain’s ‘You’re Still The One’ with a colossal crowd singalong, confetti cannons exploded over the audience during ‘Tell Me’, with Swims hilariously catching pieces in his mouth during the thrilling instrumental passages of the song.

Swims’ breakout hit ‘Lose Control’ was saved for last, whipping up a monumental singalong that the walls of the venue could barely contain. The song itself generated a sense of awe, potentially a generation-defining pop tune for the ages. One that, judging by the broad range of demographics in the capacity crowd, has touched multiple generations, bringing them together for a heartfelt evening of music they soon won’t forget.