Courtesy of Warner Records.
Despite living his dream, headlining arenas and performing around the world, Conyers-raised artist Teddy Swims—born Jaten Collin Dimsdale—still struggled to get over his feeling of homesickness while he was on the road for a large portion of the year.
While preparing for his first U.S. arena tour, The UGLY Tour, which stops at State Farm Arena on October 20, he had the idea to bring Atlanta with him everywhere he goes.
“In this next era of my life with my kid and everything that’s been going on in my life, I felt like going back to my roots,” says Swims. “As I want to portray where I’m from and what has inspired me throughout my life, and the music I grew up listening to, and why I am who I am, many people won’t get the chance to see Atlanta in the way that I see it.”.
Through the stage design of his tour, Swims will pay homage to his Atlanta and his Georgia roots. Recognizable Atlanta landmarks, including The Masquerade, The Vortex and Peachtree Street are woven into the production, making the stage a physical representation of Teddy’s life, musical influences, and the community that shaped him.
“When I was coming up … the original Masquerade was a place for me to see my favorite bands, and I’ve performed on every stage at The Masquerade. I wanted to get that feeling of how it felt when I was younger playing at that venue,” says Swims.
During preparation and rehearsals for the tour, Swims delved into the rich history of music and culture in Georgia, which gave him an even bigger source of pride for his hometown. He hopes that by sharing the passion and inspiration he got from Atlanta’s culture and people while touring, that he will inspire others to look more deeply into their own cities’ histories and gain a deeper appreciation for what makes their homes unique.
Swims will perform across a variety of different genres, including dance, country, R&B, soul and pop. The setlist is reflective of the diverse music scene in Atlanta and how different sounds have influenced and shaped Swims as an artist.
Atlanta has also had a profound impact on Swims, not only as an musician, but as a person.
“There’s this desperation and vulnerability and honesty that has always existed in the music,” he says. “Even more so, there is this hospitality that you can only find in this place. Atlanta and Georgia have always been such a melting pot of different cultures, and it’s allowed me to see and understand all walks of life. This reflects in the music and all of our shows. We see every age, and people from all walks of life, every shape and size and color of people. It speaks to the culture that I’ve been so lucky to have been raised [in].”
After reaching No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 2024 with Lose Control, Swims achieved mainstream success and became a big name in the music industry. He’s since been nominated for Grammy awards, collaborated with David Guetta, Thomas Rhett and Giveon, and performed at Coachella and Stagecoach. Nevertheless, Swims says his Atlanta upbringing has helped him stay grounded throughout everything.
“I’ve always had the same folks here. The band I’m playing with, we’ve been playing together our whole lives,” he says. “The same kids who were playing in the garage together, the same kids playing The Masquerade twenty years ago, I’m still jamming with those same cats.
“No matter how much things change for us, we are always checking in on each other and always brought down to earth by one another. Your friends will never let your head get too big, or let reality get away from you. I’ve always had this sense of home and exclusivity with these boys … we are always going to remain together as long as we stay on this path. They will always keep you humble. I couldn’t, and wouldn’t, do it any other way.”
