Bob Moses and Cannons Bask in the Afterglow
Setting out in tandem, Bob Moses and Cannons are in full lockstep as they bring their “Afterglow” tour to Nashville’s newest venue, The Pinnacle. Both on-cycle and on the road, it only made since for the two acts to team up and tackle some of the biggest rooms of their careers. Taking from Cannons’ lasted album and Bob Mose’s single of the same name, “Afterglow” might just be one of the hottest tours this Spring.
Cannons are arguably at their highest peak yet. Since their last romp in Music City back in 2024, they’ve played Austin City Limits, opened for Imagine Dragons, and released their fifth studio album, Everything Glows. To say the band has had a busy few years away would be an understatement.
“Starlight,” the second single from Everything Glows, is a dazzling, 80s-tinged pop anthem. Frontwoman Michelle Joy is a treat here, drawing the spotlight down onto herself as she commands the stage. She is a true frontwoman, too, never shying from the downstage and drawing in the audience with ease. It is expert. Paul Davis, having made the shift to drumming live, is snappy and sharp here. Cannons’ music is very soft and dreamy, veering away from jagged edges, and he knows exactly when to make himself known and how to slip into the background. It is expert.
The highlight of Cannons’ night had to be with their closer, “Fire for You,” their 2019 breakout hit. It was easily their most anticipated track, with its catchy pop appeal and sultry delivery, it was a staple on alternative radio and lands exactly the same way live. This song is instantly recognizable. It is smooth, with guitarist Ryan Clapham adding a distinctive cut to the atmospheric synths coating the song. It is dynamic, with Joy’s vocals shifting throughout. And it is downright charming. “Fire for You” is one of those lightning in a bottle songs, one an act can only dream of creating, and yet Cannons did just that. Not only that, but they manage to carry over its instant appeal to a live setting, a crossover that is difficult with much lesser songs than this one.
Bob Moses, the Grammy Award winning duo, are out in support of their 2025 album, BLINK. Their return is even longer overdue, having dodged central Tennessee since 2023 when they supported ODESZA. In fact, their last headline date in Nashville was in 2016 at EXIT/IN. They’ve played both Bonnaroo and Deep Tropics in the meantime, but that’s a long time away. What has the band been up to since? Well, they’re been on almost every stateside festival in the books, toured all across the globe from India, Brazil, Türkiye, China, Europe, and Australia, and have released five studio albums. That’s a lot of things to try and catch up on.
“Tearing Me Up” is one of Bob Moses’ biggest hits for good reason. The studio cut, already sitting at a hefty 7:50 in length, pales in comparison to the sonic bath that the Canadian duo draws up live. For fans of slow build electronic, this is for you. Snappy, plodding, and intricate, the song never leaves the audience disengaged despite its build. In fact, it is more akin to the ebbs and flows of a symphonic composition than any modern electronic track. There are so many shifts, from the bubbling, tumultuous intro, the spacey, atmospheric bridge, and the catchy, pop-centric chorus, it is almost hard to define any sort of structure. That makes it a tough nut to crack in the traditional sense, especially when you feel the emotional weight behind the song. It goes hand in hand with the beat, an uneasy anxiety flanked by the forward march of the song leaves the listener waiting and watching. Bob Moses had a fantastic setlist top to bottom, but “Tearing Me Up” managed to stand nearly in total isolation. There’s a reason it won a Grammy.
Despite the breadth of Bob Moses’ discography, the band was no stranger to covers and dramatic reimagings. In particular, Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer,” a gargantuan song in the world of alternative and electronic music, a cover that seems like a mountain to climb, and climb they did. For those unfamiliar with Bob Moses, you may not realize how much live instrumentation goes into their sets. Electronic music, at least nowadays, is dominated by DJs and decks; Tom Howie (guitar, vocals) and Jimmy Vallance (keys) push back against that trend. A touring drummer and bassist flesh out their band. This makes all the difference live, with the percussion in particular shining on “Closer,” alongside Howie’s guitar. I think the band is punching well above their weight here.
The “Afterglow” tour rolls on with or without you. I’d recommend you be part of the former. You can find all of Cannons’ upcoming dates here and all of Bob Moses’ dates here.
April 8 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore
April 10 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore
April 11 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE
April 13 – Boston, MA – Roadrunner
April 15 – Washington D.C. – The Anthem
April 16 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Paramount
April 17 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Paramount
April 19 – Toronto, ON – History
April 22 – Chicago, IL – The Salt Shed
April 23 – Saint Pail, MN – Palace Theatre
April 24 – Milwaukee, WI – Landmark Credit Union Live
April 26 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
April 27 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Union
April 29 – Sacramento, CA – Channel 24
May 2 – San Diego, CA – The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park
July 14 – Tacoma, WA – Dune Peninsula
July 15 – Troutdale, OR – Edgefield
July 17 – Berkeley, CA – Greek Theatre
July 19 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl