A Friday night at Row One in Cannery Hall is always sure to deliver, and Mack Keane was no exception. The crowd feels undeniably present, and when the lights dim at 9:10 pm, the energy shifts, and all focus directs towards the stage. Deep bass shakes the room as the unmistakable ping of a cymbal begins to cut through the vibrations, marking the beginning of a very unforgettable concert. It’s Mack Keane’s first headline tour to celebrate his album, Wide Eyed, a culmination of four years of hard work, writing, rewriting, and recording inspired by Fleetwood Mack, D’Angelo, Stevie Wonder, and a whole lot of Prince. During the concert, Keane reveals that at some point, the project wasn’t even called Wide Eyed; it was called Falling Short. But with the help of childhood friends and a willingness to make a lot of bad to get to the good, Wide Eyed finally came to fruition in 2026. The time and effort Keane put into the record undeniably paid off.
The dynamic with his band, made up of long-time friends and collaborators, is electric. Over the course of the night, the band is having fun, and the entire room can feel it. The bass riffs, the drum solos, Keane’s moments on the keyboard, all feel organic, easy to come by in a space built on mutual trust and creativity. Everything about the performance is relaxed and confident, an extremely impressive feat considering this is their first time on tour. The crowd is just as much a part of the show as the band, singing every word, yelling for more, in fact, demanding it. After a standout performance of “Cherry Red” off of Wide Eyed, Nashville insists it be played again. Keane, of course, obliges. With the crowd in shambles, Keane hands the mic to one enthusiastic fan who steals the show, performing the song from the crowd while Keane stands on the stage, enthusiastic and in awe. It’s the kind of show that could only ever end with the crowd chanting “MVP” as Keane and his band exit the stage. The kind of show that guarantees the next time he comes to Nashville, he’ll have even more excited faces in the room, chanting MVP.
- Claire Cole
Photos Courtesy of Drew Noble (For Bell Music Magazine)
