Pop-rocker Sombr proves he never needed a plan B after sold-out Nashville show

There was no backup plan for Shane Boose. He was destined to be Sombr.

But if it came down to it, “the backup plan would be busking,” the 20-year-old singer said. “I’d find a way to do this with my life.” On Wednesday, Sept. 24, Sombr proved he never needed a plan B.

At his first headlining show in Nashville, the New York native played his biggest concert to date at the sold-out Municipal Auditorium, a nearly 10,000-person venue.

Throughout a 90-minute set, the “Back to Friends” pop-rocker captivated with wailing vocals, a distinct, commanding stage presence, and interspersed theatrical bits themed to a retro, New York talk show.

The night was Sombr’s second show on the North American leg of his Late Nights and Young Romance Tour, which kicked off in Charleston, South Carolina, on Sept. 22 and includes over 30 stops.

The Tennessean followed Boose from start to finish, chatting with the viral star before the show and moments after.

Sombr, our newest rockstar, pulls pages from the past

With soaring guitar licks and a bright flash, Sombr rocketed onto the Nashville stage — striking from the start.

Clad in all black, the 6-foot-7 singer sported a sparkly tank top and leather jacket that complemented his chiseled features and mop of curly dark hair.

He looked like a glam rock frontman torn from the pages of the past, a Freddie Mercury meets Marc Bolan.

Sombr performs onstage at the Municipal Auditorium in Nashville on Sept. 24.

The stage’s set was equally vintage.

A trifold with a talk show-style desk, leather chair, couch and plants was flanked by golden velvet curtains. Domed windows showcased the NYC skyline — but the old one. The Brooklyn Bridge sat next to the Twin Towers, an iteration of the skyline Boose has not seen in his lifetime.

For those who haven’t heard of Sombr, he’s fairly new to the scene.

Boose grew up on the Lower East Side and attended LaGuardia High School, where he received classical vocal training. He picked up music production skills and dropped out at 17 to pursue music full-time.

Shane Boose, also known as Sombr, onstage at the Municipal Auditorium in Nashville.

Sombr went viral on social media in 2022 with his song “Caroline,” an acoustic heartbreak track that led to a record deal.

In 2025, songs “Back to Friends” and “Undressed” caught such momentum on TikTok that Sombr’s streaming numbers ignited. He was off to the races.

On Aug. 22, Sombr released his debut album, “I Barely Know Her,” a 10-song record rooted in yearning that includes new hits “12 to 12” and “We Never Dated.”

Grounded in pop, Boose plays with genres from disco to grunge rock, alternative singer-songwriter lilts to synthy dance bangers.

But Sombr’s Nashville show didn’t feel like a pop concert.

It was an old-school rock ‘n’ roll show that invoked early Radiohead, Gotye, back-in-the-day Lenny Kravitz and The Fray.

Sombr performs during his “The Late Night and Young Romance Tour” at the Municipal Auditorium Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn.

Boose’s Strokes-like vocals soared as he balanced belting catchy choruses with falsetto-infused bridges.

His band delivered distorted guitar, thumping bass and gritty percussion. Sombr’s troupe includes two Nashvillians: multi-instrumentalist and artist Nickname Jos and bassist Jon Carmen Ezzo, a chef who runs Fond Supper Club.

Highlights from the show included “Come Closer,” where the jumping crowd moved like a choppy sea, and fan-favorite “Undressed,” which had the audience chanting: ” I don’t wanna get undrеssed / For a new person all ovеr again.”

The night’s pinnacle arrived with closing song “12 to 12.” A disco ball rotated above the stage and red strobes flashed as Boose kicked, danced with a swinging mic stand, and brought glamorous, funky vocals.

Sombr onstage at the Municipal Auditorium in Nashville. His debut album, “I Barely Know Her,” was released in August.

Throughout the show, Boose sprinkled skits between his songs.

Sombr chatted with an invisible talk show host and invited fans on stage to call their exes (and their exes’ moms). At one point, Sombr even kissed a cardboard cutout of himself, which he then drop-kicked. In these moments, his boyishness shined through.

“It’s more than just a concert,” Boose told The Tennessean before the show. He was in Nashville for a week of rehearsals leading up to the tour’s kickoff.

“I’m treating it like a play … I just want it to be different,” he said.

When he was younger he was super into musical theater. Parts of that found their way into the show, he said.

His movements held theatrically, too.

Sombr commanded the crowd, jumped into the pit, even bent his knees in like Elvis. The audience — mostly comprised of teens and 20-somethings — couldn’t get enough.

“Ladies, ladies, there’s one of me … and plenty of you,” Sombr said onstage.

‘The response is just making me freak out‘

It all unfolded fast for Sombr.

“I’m so grateful,” Boose said in the interview. “These crowds are going to be the biggest crowds I’ve ever played in front of.”

Though he signed to Warner in 2023, Boose’s career still felt plagued by uncertainty; his parents didn’t want him to drop out of high school.

“Even when I got signed, which was a huge advantage, my mom still didn’t fully believe that I could pull it off,” Boose said. But when his songs recently became hits, Boose’s mom bought in.

Fans shout and wave as Sombr performs on Sept. 24 at the Municipal Auditorium in Nashville,.

After releasing his debut record, “the response is just making me freak out,” Boose said. He never thought he would be able to release a project of this caliber — it’s all he’s ever wanted.

Now, Boose has had to adjust to fame. Laying low at his height is a challenge.

“It’s definitely a different life day by day,” he said. “I’m just learning.”

To stay grounded, he spends time with family and tries to work out and stay healthy. But even in his off hours, Boose is still working.

He’s bringing a portable recording bus on his tour, and when he isn’t playing shows, he’ll record in his studio late into the night. “I’ll be in the bus working on my next record, because that’s all I know how to do.”

Boose is two songs into the new album and says that so far, its content is completely different from “I Hardly Know Her.” Already, he said, the new songs he’s finished are better than anything on his first record.

Perhaps Sombr will move away from what he has come to be known for — his pining songs reflecting on love, heartbreak and loneliness.

Sombr performs at the Municipal Auditorium in Nashville during his Late Night and Young Romance Tour. He says he’s already begun working on his second album.

“It feels super vulnerable, but it’s my outlet,” he said, emphasizing that it’s important that he writes alone and doesn’t share his work until it’s finished.

Moving forward, his goals are not to chase numbers — despite gaining notoriety from going viral — and to be a great songwriter. “My goal is longevity,” he said.

Boose rattled off his inspirations: Jeff Buckley, Phoebe Bridgers, The Strokes, Fleetwood Mac.

“Imagine telling Bob Dylan that he needs to make his song work on TikTok,” Boose said. He called the platform a beautiful tool that equalizes music, but said “it’s always good to let the passion for your art overpower the passion for numbers.”

Beyond his ardor, Boose has an intense work ethic.

Backstage after his Nashville show, Boose said he needed to workshop one of his bits. He was quick to mention what he could improve upon instead of basking in his accomplishments.

But after his biggest headlining concert ever, there was a sparkle in Boose’s eye, an “I made it” glimmer.

He didn’t look somber at all.