Jack Johnson Brings SURFILMUSIC to Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater With a Sold-Out Performance
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - August 25: Jack Johnson performs at a sold-out Ascend Amphitheater. (Photo by Dylan Basden for Pretty Nifty)
Jack Johnson is on the road supporting SURFILMUSIC, his latest documentary movie and musical project that documents his story as a surfer turned filmmaker turned world-renowned musician. While Johnson’s been working on SURFILMUSIC, it has been four years and a day since Nashville last laid eyes on Jack Johnson; the foothills of Appalachia are fairly far inland for his coastal nature.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - August 25: Jack Johnson performs at a sold-out Ascend Amphitheater. (Photo by Dylan Basden for Pretty Nifty)
Johnson has this unmatched aura surrounding him, his mere presence seems to have a way of bringing folks together. This felt all too true on “Sitting, Waiting, Wishing,” a soft, gentle folk-pop track from Johnson’s seminal 2005 album In Between Dreams. It is simply infectious, landing as the clear ‘pop’ the audience needed to really get into the night. There was simply so much joy on stage as Jack performed.
The definitive highlight of the night was without a doubt Johnson’s tribute to the late Dolly Parton who passed just a few hours prior to the show, a melody of his hit song “Banana Pancakes” and Parton’s iconic “9 to 5.” With just a few hours to piece together the homage, Johnson enlisted his backing multi-instrumentalist and longtime friend Zach Gill on vocals and accordion. The tribute felt so genuine and sincere, effortlessly blending the flowing and loving nature of “Banana Pancakes” into the vibrant up-tempo “9 to 5.” While many artists took a moment to honor Parton, Johnson taking time out of “Banana Pancakes,” one of his biggest songs and a longtime fan-favorite, to shine a light on Parton’s legacy was truly touching.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - August 25: Jack Johnson performs at a sold-out Ascend Amphitheater. (Photo by Dylan Basden for Pretty Nifty)
Another standout performance of a Jack Johnson staple with a new twist, “Upside Down” starred not only Johnson himself, but the night’s opening act: Lake Street Dive. While Johnson is better known for his songwriting and charisma, he has no problem keeping pace vocally with the rich harmonies of Lake Street Dive. In fact, Lake Street Dive do an exemplary job at highlighting the different details in Johnson’s voice, highlighting his highs and adding extra bass to his lows. On paper, it seemed like a rather odd pairing of bands, and while there is some throughline with their fanbases, I think Johnson did an excellent job at bringing on a collaborator who would not only expand his audience, but also expand his own music.
Setlist
Mudfootball (For Moe Lerner) -> Flake -> In the Summertime
You and Your Heart
Sitting, Waiting, Wishing
Sunsets For Somebody Else
Holes to Heaven
Inaudible Melodies
Bubble Toes
Time Is the Master
Take the Money and Run (Steve Miller Band cover)
Constellations [ft. Marian Adam]
Who Do You Love? (Bo Diddley cover)
Mas que nada -> Staple It Together -> Get Lucky (Daft Punk cover)
Breakdown [ft. The Artis Brothers]
Shot Reverse Shot
Wasting Time
Banana Pancakes -> 9 to 5 (Dolly Parton cover)
You Don’t Know How It Feels (Tom Petty cover)[ft. Lake Street Dive]
Upside Down [ft. Lake Street Dive]
Badfish (Sublime cover)
F-Stop Blues
Intro (September Sessions)
September Sessions Improv
Good People
A Pirate Looks at Forty (Jimmy Buffett cover)
Willie Got Me Stoned and Stole All My Money
Do You Remember
Angel
Taylor
Better Together
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - August 25: Jack Johnson performs at a sold-out Ascend Amphitheater. (Photo by Dylan Basden for Pretty Nifty)
Jack John still has a lot of asphalt ahead of him on the domestic leg of his tour, including a trio of two-night runs at three of California’s most iconic outdoor venues in the Greek Theatre, the Santa Barbara Bowl, and the Hollywood Bowl. Jack will then hop the pond to Oceania to round out his 2026 before a run of South American shows in 2027.
You can find all of Jack Johnson’s upcoming tour dates here.
2026
Aug 26 – Orange Beach, AL – The Wharf Amphitheater
Aug 28 – The Woodlands, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Aug 29 – Del Valle, Tx – Germania Insurance Amphitheater
Aug 30 – Dallas, RX – Dos Equis Pavilion
Sep 1 – Riverside, MO – Morton Amphitheater
Sep 2 – Greenwood Village, CO – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
Sep 4 – West Valley City, UT – Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
Sep 6 – South Lake Tahoe, CA – Lake Tahoe Amphitheatre at Caesars Republic
Sep 26 – Quincy, WA – The Gorge Amphitheatre
Sep 27 – Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater
Sep 28 – Troutdale, OR – Edgefield Concerts On The Lawn
Sep 30 – Berkeley, CA – Greek Theatre
Oct 1 – Berkeley, CA – Greek Theatre
Oct 3 – Santa Barbara, CA – Santa Barbara Bowl
Oct 4 – Santa Barbara, CA – Santa Barbara Bowl
Oct 6 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
Oct 9 – Chula Vista, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
Oct 10 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl
Oct 11 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl
Nov 6 – Brisbane, AU – Riverstage
Nov 7 – Brisbane, AU – Riverstage
Nov 8 – Brisbane, AU – Riverstage
Nov 10 – Perth, AU – Kings Park and Botanic Garden
Nov 11 – Perth, AU – Kings Park and Botanic Garden
Nov 12 – Perth, AU – Kings Park and Botanic Garden
Nov 14 – Sydney, AU – The Domain
Nov 17 – Melbourne, AU – Sidney Myer Music Bowl
Nov 18 – Melbourne, AU – Sidney Myer Music Bowl
Nov 20 – Auckland, NZ – Spark Arena
Nov 22 – Waipara, NZ – Waipara Winehouse
2027
Feb 5 – Buenos Aires, AR – Movistar Arena
Feb 10 – Santiago, CL – Movistar Arena
Feb 13 – Pichilemu, CL – Surfestival 2026
Feb 16 – Rio de Janeiro, BR – Qualistage
Feb 18 – Florianópolis, BR – Stage Music Park
Feb 20 – São Paulo, BR – Nubank Parque
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - August 25: Jack Johnson performs at a sold-out Ascend Amphitheater. (Photo by Dylan Basden for Pretty Nifty)
Jack Johnson delivered, in my opinion, one of the most heartfelt and uplifting performances I have seen in many years. Johnson’s carefree persona mixed with the rare musical talent of him and his backing band was without a doubt one of the best combinations of showmanship and sincerity I have ever seen in a live concert. Johnson’s spirit is contagious, and I did not see a single person leave this performance without a smile on their face, a characteristic that has felt long lost in modern music.