Chance Peña Wraps Up His Headline Tour With a Sold-Out Night in Nashville
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - August 21: Chance Peña sells out Brooklyn Bowl to wrap up his U.S. headline tour. (Photo by Dylan Basden for Pretty Nifty)
Chance Peña makes his long-awaited Nashville headline return to close out his “When I Change My Mind I Don’t Mean It” tour in sold-out fashion. Peña’s lone headline show in Music City came back in January of 2024, since then he’s been back around for Pilgrimage Music & Arts Festival as well as a direct support slot with The Lumineers. But longtime fans have been patiently waiting for the next headline play.
Peña is on the road supporting his sophomore album, 2025’s When I Change My Mind I Don’t Mean It, his second release from last year.
Kicking the night off in dramatic fashion, Peña leans into “The Voyager.” Chance and his band are backlit, casting a sharp silhouette across the crowd. His hollow body electric guitar is drenched in reverb; his vocals are awash in smoke. It is eerie, looming, itching for a swell. And swell it does, as Peña’s backing band comes in blistering like a train that’s lost its brakes, and his melancholic vocals build into arena-ready swagger. Then calm. The song’s bridge brings everything back down to Earth, a screeching halt to the train and a return to melancholy for Peña. It is a fabulous display of control and precision, a difficult task for even the most seasoned of musicians.
Shifting gears into When I Change My Mind I Don’t Mean It’s track list, Peña lands on “Spinning,” a light and airy breather after the raw strength of “The Voyager.” While it still has Chance’s larger than life sound attached to it, the delicate strumming of his guitar is a refreshing sonic flavor. Peña uses this opportunity to his advantage, showcasing his command of the stage, a duty that is usually difficult for frontmen bound by an instrument that seems so effortless. Peña is fully engaged with the audience, even as “Spinning,” vocally one of his most dynamic of the night, ebbs and flows. The audience for their part is right there with him, locked in on Chance Peña and returning every bit of energy he gives them.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - August 21: Chance Peña sells out Brooklyn Bowl to wrap up his U.S. headline tour. (Photo by Dylan Basden for Pretty Nifty)
Keeping things planted on his new release, Peña rounds out his opening three with “Good Love Die,” When I Change My Mind I Don’t Mean It’s lead single. It is soft and tender, a kind reminder of the Texas singer’s vocal roots on The Voice. Peña’s hard-hitting bombast is washed away in favor of this vocal performance, drawing the crowd in and adding a strange sense of intimacy despite the sold-out crowd. While it can be hard to describe on paper, moments when artists do this are so uniquely special; this is a room filled to the gills with hundreds of people, all laser focused on one musician with a gentle guitar. That is star power.
Setlist
The Voyager
Spinning
Good Love Die
Make Way for the Feeling
In My Room
Wool
Sleep Deprivation
Cold
Suddenly
Tongue Tied
Collapse
Slow & Strange
Montana
Is What It Is
My Mind Drifts to You
Bleeding Out
Burned It Down
Peacemaker
i am not who i was
The Mountain Is You
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Bones
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - August 21: Chance Peña sells out Brooklyn Bowl to wrap up his U.S. headline tour. (Photo by Dylan Basden for Pretty Nifty)
While Chance Peña has put a bow on his headline dates for the year, there’s still a handful of chances to catch him this year. Notably, Chance will be hopping across the pond to support Myles Smith across Europe.
You can find all of Chance Peña’s upcoming and future tour dates here.
Sep 18-20 – East Aurora, NY – Borderland Music Festival 2026
Nov 4 – Amsterdam, NL – Ziggo Dome*
Nov 7 – Nottingham, UK – Motorpoint Arena*
Nov 8 – Leeds, UK – First Direct Bank Arena*
Nov 10 – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro*
Nov 12 – Birmingham, UK – BP Pulse Live*
Nov 14 – Bournemouth, UK – Bournemouth International Centre*
Nov 15 – Manchester, UK – Co-Op Live*
Nov 17 – Dublin, IR – 3Arena*
Nov 19 – Cardiff, UK – Cardiff Utilita Arena*
Nov 20 – London, UK – The O2*
* supporting Myles Smith
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - August 21: Chance Peña sells out Brooklyn Bowl to wrap up his U.S. headline tour. (Photo by Dylan Basden for Pretty Nifty)
Chance Peña is a name I’d expect to hear a lot more often as the months roll by. Sonically, he’s eerily reminiscent of the 2010’s folk-rock revival ala The Lumineers, Mt. Joy, and The Head And The Heart, but his rise to stardom online feels much more akin to modern juggernaut Noah Kahan. While those comparisons are lofty, I don’t foresee Peña headlining arenas and stadiums in the next couple of years, they should give you an idea as to where he is headed. All the pieces are in place, he’s got the sound, the performance, and the star power all sitting in his back pocket. When Chance Peña’s moment comes, I’m sure he’s going to capitalize.