Review: Pop-soul singer Teddy Swims' career keeps getting bigger, just like his Pittsburgh crowds

The career of pop-soul singer Teddy Swims has come a long way in five years, going from posting YouTube covers in 2019 and 2020 to a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist this year.

At Pittsburgh’s Stage AE, those achievements can be measured in feet.

Swims played the Club at Stage AE (capacity 300) back in January 2020, graduating to the other side of the building for the indoor stage (2,400 capacity) in November 2023. For his latest appearance Saturday night, Swims moved outside for a sold-out show on Stage AE’s biggest stage (capacity 5,500).

“Look at us (expletive) now,” Swims said Saturday night to cheers, as the singer brought his I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy tour to town.

Over the course of two hours, Swims — real name Jaten Collin Dimsdale — and his backing band (also known as Freak Freely) smoothly bounced from R&B to rock to soul to pop. The majority of his show came from the expanded “I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Complete Edition),” which came out last month. It features songs from 2023’s “Part 1,” January’s “Part 2” and six new tracks for the final version.

After starting in a black mesh shirt, he came back out in a custom Pittsburgh Steelers jersey (with Swims on the back and No. 69) after six songs. Later, he switched to an oversized white shirt before ending in a Harley Davidson leather vest.

The warm weather and capacity crowd led to a stoppage after “What More Can I Say” to tend to a person in the crowd. Perhaps the tight quarters and temperatures contributed to a fight before Swims’ set, with at least two men bloodied on the lawn. Another one appeared to break out during “Need You More.”

“Who fights at a Teddy Swims show?” the singer asked after. “It’s all love.”

That love was directed, coincidentally, to his girlfriend Raiche Wright on the aforementioned song: “I wrote this about my sweet, sweet angel Raiche,” he said in the introduction.

Between songs, Swims offered some comedic banter, half-joking about trying not to swallow a moth while singing, being tough while his wife bit his arm during natural childbirth and his growing hair.

“I usually go bald, then somebody on TikTok about a month or so ago was like ‘Three things singer Teddy Swims does to hide his baldness,’” he said. “I was like, I’ll show you (expletives) I got hair.”

During several songs, he signed autographs as he sang, tagging records, banners and at least two shoes. He also got serious as he talked looking for closure with an ex-girlfriend, as well as the overwhelming emotions as a new father. (He and Wright welcomed their first son together on June 23.)

“I’m just healing up here. Give me a break,” he said with a laugh.

Swims gave each of his backup singers a spotlight on songs that originally featured guest singers — “Are You Even Real” (Giveon), “Black & White” (Muni Long) and “Bed on Fire” (Ingrid Andress).

A trio of stripped-down songs showcased Swims’ dynamic yet tender voice: “Small Hands” featured only guitar; “All That Really Matters” had on guitars and keys; and “Some Things I’ll Never Know” included only keys. (Unfortunately, quite a few in the crowd took the quieter moments as an opportunity to catch up on conversations.)

Teddy Swims “All That Really Matters” live on July 12 in Pittsburgh pic.twitter.com/wafK2zZkjM

— Mike Palm (@MikePalmMedia) July 13, 2025

Although R&B and soul were heavy on the menu, Swims and his band showed off their rock chops on a cover of “Use Somebody” by Kings of Leon. The song had been chosen at random via a bingo-type drawing, with the jukebox segment paying tribute to his roots doing covers on YouTube.

Teddy Swims covers Kings of Leon’s “Use Somebody” on July 12 in Pittsburgh pic.twitter.com/NZ8RpVVOVZ

— Mike Palm (@MikePalmMedia) July 13, 2025

Swims saved his biggest hit for the end of his set: “Lose Control” has been on Billboard’s Hot 100 for a record-breaking 98 weeks and counting, surpassing Glass Animals’ streak of 91 weeks for “Heat Waves” earlier this year. A shower of sparks fell during a fiery guitar solo too.

After returning from a brief encore break, the band closed with “Bed on Fire,” with more pyro, and “Goodbye’s Been Good To You.” A massive blast of streamers heralded the night’s end during “The Door,” another of Swims’ biggest hits.

And as for where that door leads to next? Maybe an even bigger venue next time Swims comes to town.

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Sienna Spiro, an English singer whose debut EP “Sink Now, Swim Later” came out in February, opened the show with a soulful voice that belied her 19 years.

Either accompanied on piano or guitar during her 30-minute set, Spiro closed with her biggest single “Maybe” and “You Stole the Show,” a new song set for a proper release later this month.

“If you got a chance to hear the beautiful Sienna Spiro, you’re so blessed and fortunate,” Swims said during his set. “Wasn’t she an angel?”