Kameron Marlowe Rocks The Ryman During Sold-Out Headlining Debut

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Kameron Marlowe during his headlining debut at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Photo: Ben Dartnell

Kameron Marlowe took over Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium during his sold-out headlining debut on Saturday night (Oct. 26). The show served as a stop on his “Keepin’ The Lights On World Tour,” named after his sophomore album.

Wyatt McCubbin and Owen Riegling got the night started, pumping everyone up and showing off their skills with their supporting sets.

The Mother Church was then illuminated by lines of yellow bulbs behind the stage as Marlowe’s band walked out to greet the crowd and take their places. The man of the hour soon emerged and further amped the audience with his introduction, stating he’d been “waiting on this one” as streams of smoke shot up for “911.” He checked in with everyone before jumping into “Over Now,” giving fans the mic for the final chorus, and purple lights flashed for Keepin’ The Lights On track “Nothin’ Slowin’ Us Down.” After “Sober As Drunk,” Marlowe took some time to address the packed pews.

“This is a very surreal moment for me, so I’m just trying to take it all in. Thank y’all so much for showing up tonight,” he expressed. “I’m very blessed to have each and every one of y’all in this room, and I mean that.

“There isn’t anyone who is afraid to drink a little whiskey on a Saturday night in Nashville, is there?” the artist asked as he moved into “Ain’t Enough Whiskey.”

He then grabbed his guitar for “Tennessee Don’t Mind,” putting his powerful vocals on full display while hitting the high notes. Marlowe opened up about some personal struggles he’d been dealing recently and introduced the next tune, “Never Really Know,” by sharing, “I don’t know if anyone else in the room is going through [those] same things, but I just want to let you know that it does get easier and better. This song was written about you and for you.”

Kameron Marlowe during his headlining debut at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium

He put his guitar away for “Tequila Talkin’,” taking a shot with a fan in the midst of performing, but brought it back out for “Steady Heart,” white lights covering the crowd as he strummed and sang. The floor vibrated under all the toes tapping while Marlowe proceeded to wow the crowd with “Giving You Up” and “Leaning On You,” which he noted was written about his fiancée, who was present for the performance. After briefly going black, the venue lit up with fiery hues of orange and red for “Lock Me Up.”

Marlowe grabbed his guitar once again to pay tribute to the late Toby Keith with a rendition of “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American),” the audience chanting “USA” as the song came to a close. He then introduced everyone to his bandmates and spontaneously brought a member of his crew, whose birthday he commemorated by shotgunning a beer.

Marlowe moved on by sharing the deeply personal story behind “Keepin’ The Lights On.” “I just want to thank each and every one of you for spending your hard-earned money to come out to my shows, because I know how hard it is,” he said before serenading the crowd solo.

“This is my favorite verse I’ve ever written in my life, because it represents me and who I am,” Marlowe shared as he started to sing the final verse.

He followed with a cover of “Livin’ On A Prayer,” informing everyone that while his father showed him the world of country music, his mother raised him on rock & roll. Marlowe had all of the Ryman belt the Bon Jovi classic with him before switching to a new guitar and bringing out the incredibly talented Belle Frantz, who he discovered on TikTok, to join him for George Jones‘ “The Grand Tour.” He reunited with his band for “I Can Run” and an electrifying cover of Teddy Swims‘ “Lose Control.”

“If you’ve heard this song, then you really have changed my life,” Marlowe stated while sliding into “Girl On Fire.” He asked everyone to sing the final chorus alongside him. The smoke cannons fired once more as “Burn ‘Em All” followed.

To the crowd’s delight, Marlowe concluded with a two-song encore that included “Strangers,” the duet he recorded with Ella Langley. He kept the party going with small post-show set at Chief’s on Broadway.

The “Keepin’ The Lights On World Tour” is set to stop in Dallas, Texas this Friday (Nov. 1). A dollar from every ticket sold goes towards Marlowe’s Keepin’ The Lights On (KTLO) Fund, which aims to alleviate the burdens of those struggling to make ends meet and ensure a brighter future for those in need by paying electricity bills as well as purchasing shoes, clothing, groceries and other necessities.

Liza Anderson
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