One of the best things about living in Nashville is getting to experience firsthand the interconnectivity of the music industry. This city has a kind of magic when it comes to music, and it seems like everything you hear on the radio was either written, recorded or produced here — or all three. At Joshua Bassett’s “The Complicated Tour,” he and his openers shared their love for Music City and performed a high-energy show for us.
Jenna Raine opened the concert for the first time on the tour. Just earlier this week, Raine announced that she was joining the tour for the Tennessee, Georgia and Texas legs. Raine rose to fame on TikTok as she embarked on a quest to write 100 songs, and, during her set, she got to play many of these songs live for the first time. She mixed her “Stupid Cupid” with Harry Styles’s “As It Was” and got the crowd singing along to the song she said changed her life: “see you later.”
Moments later, Nashville native Lindsey Lomis took the stage and beamed, seeing the venue from a new angle. She grooved in tune to “DAYDREAMING” and danced along to her self-proclaimed most sassy song “Bad News / Good News.” Lomis brought intoxicating pop to the stage and had many family and friends cheering for her at her hometown show.
The crowd waited in anticipation until Bassett sprinted onto the stage shortly after 9 p.m. CDT. From the outset, Bassett danced and engaged with fans across the stage. It was hard to keep track as he ran from one side to the other, starting the set with his hits “Feel Something,” “Secret” and “Doppelgänger.” The crowd sang along to every word, from the reckless anthems to the contemplative songs about heartache.
As an homage to his Disney experience, Bassett played “Finally Free” from “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” and the crowd gave him Mickey Mouse ears. He went on to sing a medley of his debut EP before hopping onto the piano to play “Heaven Is You.”
Bassett explained between songs that a good portion of his music had been written in Nashville, and he even yelled out to see if one of his collaborators behind his next song, “Sad Songs in a Hotel Room” was present. The song, which features a melancholy melody, was written during one of Bassett’s stays in Nashville.
Bassett continued to personally engage with the audience throughout, and, midway through the show, he cleared a pathway to the center of the floor to perform his heartfelt “Common Sense” amid the crowd of fans. Moments later, he opened up about being in the hospital with a slim chance of surviving back in 2021 and, calling upon his mother, stated that this experience was the premise for the song “Lifeline.” He urged viewers to reconcile with those they care about, as he recognized the importance of familial and friend relationships during this life-altering event.
The show, far from over, continued with the “Hannah Montana: The Movie” classic “The Climb,” which Bassett said “felt right for Nashville.” After pouring his heart into this cover, Bassett continued to woo the audience by leaving the stage to walk around the entire venue, shaking hands with countless concertgoers as he sang “Different” and “Smoke Slow.” Adding to his covers, he intertwined elements of “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls into “Smoke Slow” and sang Stephen Schwartz’s “Beautiful City.”
Bassett ended the night with “Set Me Free” but shortly came back out as the crowd chanted for him to perform “SHE SAID HE SAID SHE SAID” as the encore. In the final moments of the show, Bassett continued to bring high energy, standing at the top of the piano before jumping down onto the stage. The show allowed listeners to see the person behind the music and hear some of the personal stories that inspired the songs. Before the show, I felt connected to the music, but now I feel connected to Bassett as well after sharing such a lively and genuine experience.
