Medium Build brings maximum joy to Theatre of Living Arts

Some artists are clearly destined for greatness. Seeing them in smaller venues feels like a little secret you’re being let in on, and following their growth is its own special adventure. Admittedly, I felt late to the party at Medium Build’s Philadelphia show, having only found his music this year. Theatre of Living Arts was packed with fans who have been with him since his early days. Yet as he captivated the room for an hour and a half, I couldn’t help but feel like I was still being let in on something special—and that Medium Build still has a long journey ahead.

Medium Build—Nick Carpenter’s music project—is a project from all over. Georgia, Alaska, and Tennessee have all played a role in its creation and, as Carpenter humorously recounted, have also led to disgruntled fans pointing out whenever he neglects to mention those states. Just as his origins are hard to pin down, so is his music. With honesty at their core, his songs pull from country, indie rock, and pop, prioritizing storytelling over genre.

A large part of Medium Build’s appeal is Carpenter’s natural stage presence. He took the TLA stage in appropriate Philly gear: wearing an Eagles shirt and a headband I’m pretty sure was fashioned from the bottom of the shirt. If he ever gets bored of making music, I’d bet that he could easily make a living as a stand-up comedian. His self-deprecating and dark humor found its way into even the most vulnerable moments of the night, often turning stories about his life and the songs they inspired into opportunities for a joke. That humor could easily distract from the more emotional parts of the set, but it made them feel more honest, as if he were relaying these stories from a bar stool next to you, rather than from a stage looking out at an eager crowd.

That balance between playfulness and sincerity is at the heart of King of Having Fun, the 2026 album that made up much of the setlist. The title is a bit deceptive—there’s plenty of fun to be had throughout the record, but beneath its lighter moments is an artist wrestling with some pretty heavy feelings. Those contradictions became even clearer at the TLA. A song could leave the room hanging on every word before Carpenter broke the tension with a joke.

Songs such as “Cone Off,” “Home Depot,” and “It’s Not Easy (Falling In Love)” invited the crowd to sing along, with fans dancing despite the packed room. For his part, Carpenter was electric onstage, rocking back and forth and moving around with an energy that seemed to grow as the night went on. For most of the set, he had a guitar slung over his shoulder, somewhat limiting his movement. But whenever he let it go, he was bouncing and jumping across the stage with fiery energy.

Near the end of his set, Medium Build brought out Ken Yates, who had also opened the night. Carpenter sang Yates’ praises, sharing that he influenced much of the record while cheekily explaining he essentially hijacked one of Yates’ songs for his own setlist. The result was Yates’ “Superimposed,” performed as a duet by two artists whose genuine admiration for each other was impossible to miss.

Walking out of the TLA, I still felt like a newcomer to the Medium Build world. But after an hour and a half of watching Carpenter command a packed room with equal parts vulnerability, humor, and energy, being late to the party didn’t feel like such a bad thing. If his recent music and Philadelphia show are any indication, watching where Carpenter takes it next might just be the best part.