The Format
w/ Ben Kweller, Adult Mom
The Ryman Auditorium; Nashville, TN
April 3, 2026
Review by Philip Obenschain. Photos by Mary-Beth Blankenship.
Originally active from 2002 through 2008, Arizona indie duo The Format were, perhaps, one of the most under-appreciated bands of their era, responsible for two initial albums which have now become classics, and have aged much better than many releases from their peers in the pop punk and emo scene (a scene with which The Format were always tangentially associated, but never quite sonically fit into). That’s not to say they weren’t popular back in the day- they certainly were- but never quite saw the mainstream success of vocalist Nate Ruess’s subsequent venture, fun., or even quite the fervently enthusiastic fanbase they’ve commanded since reuniting last year. First teased in 2020, then indefinitely postponed due to the pandemic, this reunion has been more than half a decade in the making, and started to feel like it might never happen, until, finally, the pair announced a short run of initial shows last fall, followed by a new album, Boycott Heaven– their first in 20 years- back in January, as well as a spring tour in support, returning them to Music City for the first time in just as long (they played spots like Rocketown in the early days, and last played The End and Exit/In both in 2006).
I only ever got to see The Format once, in 2005, opening for Jimmy Eat World and Taking Back Sunday in Harrisonburg, Virginia, but unfortunately didn’t appreciate them enough myself at time (it was the following year’s Dog Problems that really made me fall in love with the band, which then gave me a new love for their equally as brilliant debut, 2003’s Interventions + Lullabies; and though the Dog Problems tour came through my home state a couple of times, I never made it to a headlining show before they split). I followed Ruess and multi-instrumentalist Sam Means’ subsequent creative endeavors (which led me to some very cool, small, early fun. shows), but for many decades, I’d been longing to see The Format again, as headliners, playing their whole discography, which has held a special place in my heart for all of these years. Needless to say, to get a chance to do so at a spot as magical as The Ryman, where the band recently headlined for the first time, was incredible, and well-worth the wait.
I normally make an effort to arrive in time for the openers, but unfortunately it wasn’t in the cards this time. I’m a fan of both Adult Mom and Ben Kweller though, and I have no doubt they put on worthy supporting performances. Heading in just as Kweller was winding down with “Penny on the Train Track” (and spotting actor Christopher Mintz-Plasse on bass in his backing band; neat!), The Ryman was already pretty packed, and throughout the 20ish-minute changeover, as everyone filed into the pews and The Format’s production took shape, the millennial nostalgia felt palpable (the under-30 crowd were definitely in the minority at this one).
Walking out onto stage decorated with glowing clouds, a starry backdrop, and their name illuminated above, Ruess and Means, along with their backing band- guitarist and keyboard player Mark Buzard and bassist Don Raymond (both of whom might look for familiar longtime fans, since they were part of the band in the ’00s too), along with drummer Will Noon (who played both in fun. and Nate’s solo band)- kicked off the show in classic Format style, with Dog Problems‘ cinematic opening tracks “Matches” and “I’m Actual.” As the latter ramped up into emotional crescendo- even more epic live- and the lights really began to glow and change, I could feel the awe in the room, full of fans who I imagine had been waiting for decades for this moment just like I had. If they had just continued on through the rest of Dog Problems, I would’ve been perfectly content, but this was a reunion, a retrospective, and a celebration of new art, and next up were two favorites from their debut, Aim + Ignite– “Tie the Rope” and “Wait, Wait, Wait,” which, like everything else in the set, felt just as earnest, contemporary, and meaningful as ever after all these years.
Though certainly generous in cuts from Dog Problems, the set actually featured more Interventions + Lullabies than anything else- nearly the whole record- which I found to be a pleasant surprise, and really punctuated this years-later reunion as two men, now in their mid-40s, reconnecting with the music that shaped them as artists in their teens and 20s. There were, of course, a handful of new tunes from Boycott Heaven as well, and after a delightful singalong to classic “The Comprise,” they reached the first new one: the anthemic and propulsive “Shot in the Dark.” I really love the new record, so it was cool to hear some it live, but it’s hard to measure something you’ve only had a few months to sit with against music that you’ve loved for decades (and, remember, this was my first time even seeing the Dog Problems stuff live too), which is a fact the band seemed keenly aware of, scattering the five newer songs throughout the set, and sandwiched between the classics.
Leading into the propulsive “I’m Ready, I Am,” to folky jam “A Mess to Be Made,” not only did the older stuff sound better than ever, but it really proved how ahead of their time The Format were. So many records from the early ’00s sound like time capsules of their era, but I genuinely think you could put these songs out now and people would think they’re contemporary; a testament both to timeless songwriting and a truly unique sound. If the first third of the show was something of a hypotonic trip down memory lane and a warm reintroduction to the band, the dance-primed “She Doesn’t Get It” and then barque pop anthem “Tune Out” felt like the spot where the nostalgia and crowd engagement really starting picking up, with much of the audience standing and singing along. Sandwiched between new songs “Depressed” and “Right Where I Belong” (the latter, a lovely ballad which Nate dedicated to his wife Charlotte Ronson), another Lullabies standout, “Give It Up,” was one of several songs throughout the night which saw Ruess don an electric guitar (when not tethered to an instrument, he was roaming around the stage, playing off of his bandmates, and making sure to engage with all sides of the crowd).
One of my personal favorite Format songs- and one I’d argue channels a bit of the structure and grandiosity of Queen- title track “Dog Problems” was epic and emotionally devastating live, and I found myself tearing up with how perfect and even more climactic it felt. Riding off of that high, next came one of the band’s most upbeat songs, “Sore Thumb,” followed by hard-hitting new LP title track “Boycott Heaven,” with fittingly-titled first single and perhaps best-known Format song, “The First Single,” closing out the main set. “The First Single” was the first Format song I ever heard, and it instantly transports me back to the days of feeling 15- iPods, MySpace, and an era of music that, to a certain demographic my age, will never be topped. It sounded excellent, and got the whole room moving, proving to be a perfect punctuation to one of the most blissfully nostalgic and transformative shows I’ve ever witnessed at The Ryman.
Of course, the show wasn’t really over though, with the band reemerging a few moments later for an encore. Beginning with Sam and Nate, alone and acoustic, the pair played one of their first album’s most beautiful and vulnerable tracks- and one most beloved by fans- “On Your Porch.” I’m not privy to what the duo’s relationship has been like over the last 20 years, but in their chemistry throughout the night, and especially in moments like this one, they seem as close and connected as ever, and I imagine that playing songs like this makes them feel like kids back in Arizona all over again. After that lovely moment, “If Work Permits” upped the energy one last time, as it ramped into one of the fastest and hard-hitting songs in the group’s discography, and allowed Ruess to work the stage once more. One last new one and biggest single from their latest, “Holy Roller,” followed, but the night’s closer was one the crowd was clearly clamoring for all evening: Dog Problems favorite “Oceans.”
Ending on that high note, I truly couldn’t have asked for a better setlist, better vibes, or as perfect-sounding a performance from one of indie rock’s greatest bands. This show- to me, to many- was decades in the making, and feels like a minor miracle that it happened at all. If it’s the last time I get to see The Format, it’s an incredible way to revisit their legacy. But I’m really hoping that this truly is the start of another long-lasting chapter, and it won’t be another 20 years until the next time they make it Music City; only time will tell.
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All photos by Mary-Beth Blankenship
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Setlist:
Matches
I’m Actual
Tie the Rope
Wait, Wait, Wait
The Compromise
Shot in the Dark
I’m Ready, I Am
A Mess to Be Made
She Doesn’t Get It
Tune Out
Depressed
Give It Up
Right Where I Belong
Dog Problems
Sore Thumb
Boycott Heaven
The First Single
On Your Porch
If Work Permits
Holy Roller
Oceans