On Thursday night, May 22, James Bay brought his “Up All Night” Tour to the beautiful Brooklyn Paramount. It’s been a decade since his debut album, Chaos and the Calm was released and in that time Bay has proved himself to be a talented songwriter and musician. On a personal level, his album has been one of my favorites over the last 10 years and I have been trying to catch him live. I am so glad I finally did.
Opening his show was the incredible Hunter Metts. I had never heard of him before but I was seriously impressed. Taking the stage flanked by 2 band members on bass and pedal steel / banjo, his delicate voice and lyrics were only enhanced by the soft rays of light that fell on him while he played. I see a lot of live music, and it isn’t often that I am captivated by an opener I have never heard of. Metts is seriously impressive and he kept everyone’s’ attention in the crowded room. Metts reminds me of another favorite of mine, Ben Howard. His voice draws you in and I wanted his short set to last longer. As soon as his set was done I went to the merch table trying to buy his vinyl, which unfortunately he did not have available. I really hope to see him play again soon.
In between sets John Mayer and others played over the speakers. Shortly after 9 pm the lights went down and James Bay appeared at the back of the stage, between drums and his keyboard player. A light came up illuminating him as the first chords of “Up All Night” started to play. At first you could only make out his silhouette — tall and lanky, with a black leather jacket and a hat reminiscent of the one he wore on the cover of Chaos and the Calm. After a minute or so he made his way down to center stage, all smiles, and the 3000+ people erupted with cheers.
“Up All Night” is an energetic guitar driven track, and it was perfect to set the pace for the show. Unfortunately, half way through Bay had to stop the show to point out a couple guys fighting to the security team. If you have listened to Bay at all, a fight at one of his shows seems unlikely, and it was clear James himself was confused. He took it in stride though — he cracked some jokes and drank some hot tea while it got sorted out. He then commented that he wasn’t going to let anyone ruin the song, and the band picked up where they had left off.
I have been a fan of his for a long time, and I can honestly say that his debut record is still one I play often. But the career he has built since then is certainly impressive. The set list was made up of songs from each of his 4 albums, but it did seem like the ones from his debut album hit the hardest. When he played “If You Ever Want to Fall in Love” for his 3rd track the place erupted and the screams kicked up a notch, somehow. The live setting is where he excels, his band is very tight and James Bays’ vocals never miss. He is able to go back and forth between quiet moments where you can hear a pin drop, and then bring the audience right back up with rowdy songs like “Pink Lemonade.”
A standout moment is when he later took the stage by himself, intimate and solo with just a single spotlight coming down, while he played acoustic guitar and everyone sang along with him. It was magical.
I have thought more than once over the last decade about how I never understood how James Bay isn’t a bigger star. His first record exploded but then it seemed like there were a few years in between records where you didn’t hear as much about him. His career had slowed for sure. But now, it seems like he has captured that initial energy again. Every person knew every single word, and there were so many smiles while we all sang along. I feel so grateful I got to catch him in this relatively small space, while also knowing he should be headlining arenas around the world.
His set included “Let it Go,” which was his first big hit. He also played “Wild Love,” “Cravings” and his new song “You and Me Time.” He put that song out last month with Sheryl Crow featured and he spent a little time talking about how incredibly cool she is. His main set ended with the high energy “Best Fake Smile” and when he walked off the stage before the encore my ears were still ringing. He came back out and played “Elephant” solo before closing his set with an obvious crowd favorite, “Hold Back The River’” — somehow lifting everyone’s voice even louder than before.
By the time you’re reading this, this current leg of the tour will be over. I am not sure what is next for James Bay. Whether he will finally get the recognition I feel he deserves and play the biggest rooms in the world, or if you will be able to catch him while his shows are still only a few thousand singing voices. But I know that next time he is in town, I will be there. Singing along with everyone else, and trying to take in that feeling you have when you’re part of something special. You should be there too.
GALLERY: James Bay with Hunter Metts at Brooklyn Paramount in Brooklyn, New York (May 24, 2025)
