Molly Grace, Jonah Marais & Nightly

If you weren’t at the Ryman Auditorium on May 30th, then honey, you missed a moment. Not just a concert, but a full-blown musical baptism led by Nashville’s own rising pop-saint, Molly Grace. Technically, the night was for the band NIGHTLY, but let’s be real: the second Molly stepped onto that stage, it was her church and we were just lucky to be in the pews. The show opened with Jonah Marais, a Minnesota native and one of the few boy band survivors who’s come out of the chaos with both vocal cords and heart intact. Armed with a tight three-man band and a set full of emo-pop gems like “Can’t Believe My Eyes” and “Dark and Twisted Lullaby,” Jonah leaned all the way into early 2000s nostalgia. Think: if TRL and Hot Topic had a baby who loved harmonies. His fans came in ready, screaming lyrics, throwing love, and almost certainly following his every move on TikTok. He capped the set with “I Could See Forever With You,” a gentle closer and a reminder that soft boys are back. 

But let’s talk about the reason people are texting their exes and questioning their sexualities today: Molly. Freaking. Grace. Taking the Ryman stage for the first time (!!!), Molly exploded into her set with “F.E.M.M.E” an anthem that screams glam, camp, power, and glitter in every direction. Drenched in charisma and decked out like a queer fairy godmother, she pranced, preached, and belted her way through a setlist of heartbreak, healing, and high notes that made your spine tingle. Her backup singers — lovingly called her “lover girls” — didn’t just sing, they performed, each getting a verse in a surprise Whitney Houston cover of “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” And yes, Molly did pick someone in the audience to dance with, because why not emotionally devastate a crowd and make one person’s entire life? She swerved between the obsessive devotion of songs like “Mad At Her Forever” to the icy detachment of breakup bops that would make even Dua Lipa take notes. Even performing unreleased track “Soprano,” teased online but hearing live an absolute dream that shows off just how vocally talented she is. A power move that only a pop star with range (vocally and emotionally) can pull off. Then came “Heaven Sent,” performed for the first time live since its release in the literal “Mother Church” of country music. The sermon she delivered midway through that song? I think there were tears. I think I confessed my sins. She ended with “Lady Lady,” and by that point, the crowd wasn’t clapping, we were worshiping. 

As for NIGHTLY? The alt-pop trio delivered a vibey, synth-filled set that wrapped the night with moody bangers perfect for driving fast with the windows down or staring at the ceiling post-breakup. Singing songs off new album “songs to drive to,” the crowd was relaxed yet erratic all at the same time. This show was definitely a night to remember and reminded me of what a night full of talented artists can do for the soul!

- Joanna Walden

Photos Courtesy of Lillie Hollabaugh (For Bell Music Magazine)