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| Sam Smith |
“I have been touring so much, since the age of 21. I went from playing in venues of this size to playing in arenas in one year,” Sam Smith related to the audience at Brooklyn’s 1,100-capacity Warsaw on October 15. “I stayed in those arenas for nearly 10 years, and it was a really amazing experience, and I love singing in those rooms … but my favorite shows, and the ones that changed me as an artist, were the gigs that were shared in rooms like this, that are built for music.”
The British crooner’s popularity skyrocketed in 2014, initially thanks to the wide appeal of the song, “Stay with Me” and the corresponding debut album, In the Lonely Hour. Since then, Smith (they/them/theirs) sustained commercial success with four studio albums, with the most recent, Gloria, released in 2023. In June 2025, Smith continued the momentum by releasing a live album, BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. Also this year, they released two non-album songs, "Love Is a Stillness" and "To Be Free." In the past 11 years, the five-time Grammy-Award winner reportedly has sold 49 million albums and 300 million singles worldwide.
Despite popular demand, Smith committed to returning to more intimate stages. Upon selling out the originally scheduled 12 nights at Warsaw, they extended the To Be Free: New York City residency to 24 nights, from October 8 to December 13, 2025. In February 2026, Smith will perform To Be Free: San Francisco, reopening the Castro Theatre after two years of renovations with an eight-night residency.
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| Sienna Spiro |
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| Sienna Spiro |
The first week of the Warsaw residency was closed to the press. At the launch of week two, on October 15, Sienna Spiro opened the program with a half hour set of original songs and covers. Accompanied by a live pianist and a pre-recorded rhythm section, the 20-year-old British vocalist sang soulful jazz-influenced songs that fit her octave-busting range. Paying tribute to Frank Sinatra, a highlight of her set was her soaring vocals on “My Way.”
After a half hour intermission, musicians filled the dark stage. When the stage lights ignited, Sam Smith was seen wearing an imaginative outfit custom designed by Vivienne Westwood’s Creative Director Andreas Kronthaler. Deciphering the puzzling geometric design of the angular design necessitated a few minutes digestion, but that brain fog was put on hold when Smith opened their throat and began singing.
The concert opened with a bang. Within seconds, Smith immediately began pulling the heart-strings of their audience with their summer single, “To Be Free,” one of the strongest songs of their career. Uplifting lyrics and a rallying chorus sensitively explored how vulnerability can unlock bravery and freedom. Smith’s voice was warm and strong, and the team of five musicians and three singers supported dynamically.
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| Sam Smith |
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| Sam Smith |
Smith appeared to be totally engaged throughout the two-hour performance, completely in synchronization with their repertoire, their musical team and their audience. Even the sound and stage lighting were subtly yet perfectly aligned with the flow of the presentation for greatest impact. Simplicity was the axis on which the show spun, with no stage sets, costume changes, or video projections. The production was all Sam Smith – a refined vocal delivery, well-rehearsed musical arrangements, and the most compelling personality on earth.
In welcoming remarks early in the performance, Smith assured the audience that the program would consist of fan favorites, deep cuts and new songs that have not yet been recorded. They neglected to say so in their introduction, but the excellently paced show also inserted numerous revealing anecdotes, drawing the audience closer to Smith’s heart. The highlights were almost too many to recount.
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| Sam Smith |
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| Sam Smith |
The first thunderbolt was a total rearrangement of Smith’s best-loved song, “Stay with Me.” Smith sat on a stool center stage, flanked in a semi-circle by three musicians playing acoustic guitar and one playing a mandolin. The back-porch style version was not immediately recognizable yet, within seconds, the quiet arrangement inspired the evening’s first audience singalong. Stunningly, the song maintained all of its power with the new and softer arrangement.
Upon conclusion of the song, the musicians held their place as Smith unveiled their first previously-untold story. Smith referred to a copyright issue in which Tom Petty's publishers alleged a melodic similarity of Smith’s “Stay with Me” to Petty's 1989 hit, "I Won't Back Down." Following an out-of-court agreement in 2015, Smith added Petty and co-writer Jeff Lynne to the credits and granted them a 12.5 percent portion of the royalties. Smith explained to the audience that, at that time, they had never heard of Petty or his song.
“I am gay, as you know, and it didn’t quite reach me in little old England,” Smith said. He came to know of Petty only after hearing from Petty’s publisher and a settlement was sought. “The night before the [2015] Grammys, I was in my hotel room, and I got a handwritten letter from Tom Petty. He told me he didn’t want me to worry, and that there were only so many notes on a piano,” he said. “He was very kind, but I was so young and silly and so pissed off when I got this letter, that I never replied to him. Sadly, a year or so later he passed away, and I never got the chance to reply to him and thank him for being as sweet as he was and telling me exactly what I needed to hear at that time.”
In tribute to Petty, Smith and their musicians neatly closed the acoustic segment by covering Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ “It’ll All Work Out.”
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| Sam Smith with Sienna Spiro |
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| Sam Smith with Sienna Spiro |
Acknowledging the remarkable talent of the support act, Smith invited Sienna Spiro back to the stage for a duet on In the Lonely Hour's “Lay Me Down.” At first, Smith and Spiro alternated verses, followed with a brief call and response, and concluded with the pair of rich voices harmonizing the finale. This was the second surprise of the night.
Both Smith and Spiro walked off the stage. The band continued with an interlude, spotlighting the background vocalists on a cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Waters.”
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| Sam Smith |
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| Sam Smith |
Later, Smith prefaced a song with another untold story. Sir Elton John invited Smith to his house in the south of France. After dinner, John introduced Smith to John Prine’s “Angel from Montgomery.” John suggested that Smith consider covering the song in their live show.
“I ignored him for about eight years,” Smith said. “But when I was preparing for this show, I finally went, ‘You know what? He was right.'”
Smith’s delivery remained faithful to the song’s Americana roots. The background singers amplified the chorus. John would be proud.
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| Sam Smith |
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| Sam Smith |
Smith’s show was not quite a tell-all Springsteen on Broadway production. Nevertheless, the masterfully curated and professionally executed. Smith gave the fans more than they could have expected. The intimate flavor of the show allowed the voices and the instruments to shine brighter than on previous tours in sports arenas. A balanced mix of old favorites and new songs-in-progress gave the audience a sense of nostalgia alongside a foretaste of the future. To Be Free: New York City is Sam Smith at their best.
(All photographs by Getty Images for Capitol Records)
Related Article
Sam Smith at the United Palace Theater (2014)
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The Manhattan Beat regularly lists the best live music events coming to the New York City area. The twice-weekly guide also celebrates via photographs some of the musicians who have performed locally in the past few days.
Everynight Charley recommends the following 40+ concerts in the New York City area this week. Consult the web site or social media of the venue for more information about a show, including location and directions, parking, ticket availability, show times, age restrictions, and COVID compliance.
For a more complete listing of upcoming performances in the New York City area, visit The Manhattan Beat's October calendar.
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