Phillip Phillips and Matt Nathanson brought their co-headlining summer tour to Nashville on Thursday night, playing at Ascend Amphitheater downtown.
New York pop group, A Great Big World opened the show and played a half hour set including their radio hit “Say Something.” They also played a lively cover of the Beatles classic, “Got to Get You Into My Life.”
Matt Nathanson came out next and played an hour long show, ending on his hit “Come On Get Higher.” Throughout the night, Nathanson interacted and joked with the audience and even took a run through the crowd in the middle of a brief rain shower during his set.
Mid-set he brought A Great Big World back onto the stage to perform a cover of “Raspberry Beret” as a tribute to Prince.
At around 9:30 p.m., Phillip Phillips, best known for winning American Idol in 2012, took to the stage to play an hour long set. It was obvious there was a great energy between Phillips and his band. Many songs turned into jam sessions and stretched twice as long as their studio recorded versions. “Magnetic,” which he introduced as a new song was a real standout, as well as the calm, heartfelt, acoustic track “Dance with Me,” which he wrote about his wife.
The summer tour continues through Sept. 17 and ends in Colorado.