By the time Hayley Williams took the stage at Ryman Auditorium, the crowd was already buzzing with the kind of anticipation reserved for artists who have defined a generation. For more than two decades, Williams has been a force in the music world. She led the three-time Grammy award-winning band Paramore through multiple album releases and world tours since the band’s start in 2004.
Williams moved to Franklin, Tennessee at a young age and still considers Nashville her home. In 2020, she launched her solo career, and in 2025 released her album, “Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party.” On Tuesday night, the singer performed her “Hayley Williams at a Bachelorette Party Tour” to a sold-out show.
Tuesday night was my first time at the historic venue. The interior of the Ryman was adorned with ornate carvings and gothic architecture, and stained-glass windows lined the back wall. The rows of church-like pews were already more than halfway full of concert goers. Most of the crowd seemed to be longtime Hayley Williams fans, and some even wore her merchandise from the 2000s.
Water from Your Eyes had already started their set while I was finding my seat. Just a few rows back from the front of the stage, I immediately noticed the lead singer’s sunglasses and cowboy hat. The pounding mix of drums, bass and guitar shook my seat, making the performance feel as physical as it was loud.
The experimental rock band is composed of lead vocalist Rachel Brown, multi-instrumentalist Nate Amos, drummer Bailey Wollowitz and guitarist Al Nardo. The group’s music was unlike any I had ever heard before. The singer had a deeper voice that matched the bass of the tracks while delivering her lines deadpan and detached. At times, the instruments were so loud it was hard to hear the vocals, but the energy never dipped.
Between songs, Brown joked with the crowd.
“We’re at the point in the tour where it’s like we all got a lobotomy together … I love my friends,” Brown said.
Then Brown shifted into remarks about Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Palestine, stating “Stop the fascists,” which was met with roars from the audience.
Even though I didn’t know any of the songs, the band’s chemistry was obvious. They were dancing onstage, clearly having a genuinely good time. Water from Your Eyes’ rock sound was the perfect preview for what was to come, leaving a restless energy in the room before Williams took the stage.
Hayley Williams took the stage at 8 p.m. CDT, and the entire room rose to its feet. The stage was draped with white curtains, and Williams walked out wearing an aviator hat with googles, a shirt that read “All power to the people” and a sheer, flowy skirt; she looked both theatrical and slightly futuristic.
Hayley Williams opened the night with “Mirtazapine,” playing the guitar as she delivered the alternative-rock track with chaotic intensity. The song’s guitar-heavy sound gave the performance an edgy feel, while her raw vocals made the track even more visceral. Behind her, the entire band bounced to the beat of the pounding drum, feeding the momentum. By the time the first track was over, I could feel the sound of the crowd’s cheers in my bones.
One of the best things about the show was how easily Willliams moved between harmony and chaos. During “Disappearing Man,” the singer was washed in red light, and sounded exactly like the recording. Then, the visuals on the drapery shifted to water-like reflections that rippled across the stage during the song “Zissou,” turning the set dream-like and surreal. At one point, during an upbeat, punk song, Williams sang into a megaphone and threw up both middle fingers.
The crowd gave that intensity right back. During “Hard,” the entire venue scream-sang along, and Hayley ripped off her goggles, whipped her hair back and forth, and threw herself into the song with huge gestures. People were pumping their firsts in the air and stomping their feet. The crowd exploded at the high notes, and you could feel how much everyone wanted to match the singer’s energy.
Some of the most powerful moments of the night came when Williams pulled things back.
Sitting at the piano for the song “Blood Bros,” she said to the crowd, “Let’s get emo,” and the room, which had been so loud just moments earlier, went silent.
Against the blue backdrop, her voice was soft but strong.
“It’s been really nice to be home,” said the Franklin-raised singer, to which the audience answered with the warmest cheer of the night.
Politics was woven seamlessly throughout the set. Tennessee state representative Justin Jones joined Williams at the piano with a tambourine.
Jones took the mic, raised his fist, and said, “Power to the people” and shared complaints about Tennessee politicians U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn and Gov. Bill Lee.
The room responded just as forcefully.
A feeling of community was felt throughout the entire night. Williams went on to describe a new friend she had recently made at the Grammy Awards. Then, her new friend, Noah Kahan, walked out from backstage for a duet of his recently released song “Downfall.” The crowd’s reaction was huge. Everyone in the room was shocked and screaming at the top of their lungs, myself included.
The voices of the two singers worked together beautifully to create a soft but earnest love story about lingering resentment in a past relationship. Before the next section of her set, Williams reflected on moving to Nashville 10 days before she turned 13, grounding the performance in a way that made the night feel even more intimate.
The visuals kept shifting with the music in memorable ways. Soft pink lights turned one performance romantic and euphoric. Before another, Williams poured a ring of salt around her mic. Cloud imagery filled the backdrop while she played the piano again.
By the time Williams performed “Good Ol’ Days,” the entire venue was dancing and singing along.
She looked up to the balcony and said, “Love you grandma,” as everyone in the room turned to her grandmother.
It made the giant room feel personal again. That was the best part of the night; the show was loud and visually dramatic, but it never lost its intimacy.
When the band left the stage, the crowd immediately began stomping and chanting “Hayley” repeatedly until they returned. For the encore, Williams came back out throwing up the rock ’n’ roll hand sign and pushed the set back into full intensity.
By the time she said goodnight, before the last few songs of the set, the crowd’s closing screams were so loud they made my ears ring.
Hayley Williams’ show was emotional, theatrical and politically charged, but what really made it memorable was how alive it felt. She moved from rage to joy so naturally, making the entire night feel like a release. Hayley has been a touring artist for almost as long as I’ve been alive, and watching her on stage Tuesday night made it clear why she has become a lasting force.
