Opening his show last Sunday at Nashville’s The Truth, alt-pop artist Role Model channeled his alter ego, Chuck Timely, with a powerful introductory mantra: “I am deserving of something real, something true, someday soon.”
As the lights went out and the sound cut in, this line echoed through the building and a wave of excitement rolled through the audience. Without time to scream, the crowd immediately joined in, singing the mantra back to him. Rising from a built-in platform, fans beamed with excitement as his silhouette began to glow from the light shining behind him. From the second he took his first step forward, the crowd went crazy, and it seemed as though Role Model had met his match.
Over the past year, Role Model, a pseudonym for Tucker Pillsbury, has successfully made the transition to mainstream pop. First garnering attention from a nightly tour staple he would perform, he decided to take that momentum and run.
During his tour for his previous album, “Kansas Anymore”, Pillsbury would bring out a surprise guest to be his “Sally”. A role born from his song “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out”, each night a different guest would come out during the bridge to dance and sing along on stage.
Throughout the course of the tour, each night’s guest seemed to level up in status. With appearances ranging from other musicians, influencers, actors, family members, and even Charli XCX during his SNL performance, “Sally” became her own coveted position among guests.
Though he has chosen to retire the Sally bit for this tour, he was quick to replace it with another form of fan engagement with the addition of a new ritual during his song “Love I You.” During the bridge of this song, Pillsbury will bring the mic up to one member of the audience and the two of them will sing the lyrics back and forth to each other, as if having a conversation. The lyrics, originally voiced by Dakota Johnson, are a flirty back and forth between him and a potential love interest.
“Hey, I think you’re perfect
You say that to everyone
‘Kay, well, is it working?
Yeah, but don’t tell anyone […]”
Though it may not pack the same punch as a celebrity “Sally” guest, it still is a great way to get fans involved in the show and keep a tradition alive.
Throughout the show, it felt like the audience and Pillsbury were having a conversation. It was like watching two old friends reconnect for the first time in a while, effortlessly falling into old jokes and familiarity. All through the night, the two parties were relaying quips back and forth, taking jabs at one another, and really pushing the boundary of fan-to-artist communication. Throughout the night, Pillsbury would recurrently burst into laughter due to audience interactions made intentionally to throw him off. It truly felt like they understood each other, even without direct communication.
“You can tell when a show is gonna be fun one song in, tonight’s gonna be a fun f***ing show,” Pillsbury bantered, giving the crowd permission to go wild the rest of the night.
Pillsbury shared that he spent a lot of time in Nashville while making his most recent album, “Chuck Timely and The Hour Glass.” He explained that he wanted the album to carry the energy of late-night dive bars, something this city has no shortage of. While that sonic concept is certainly present, the album’s lyricism focuses on his relationship with time, aging, and navigating being single, while his friends are progressing in their relationships.
In his song “The Wedding”, he tackles these feelings of time, loneliness, and feeling left behind head-on.
“Last night I told myself that I’m never getting married” sings Pillsbury, speaking to his worry that marriage may not be a viable option for him. But as the song progresses, he goes further into his fears surrounding long-term commitment and asks if he’ll ever be able to settle down. As the song progresses and he continues to peel through these emotions, he finds himself reaching the conclusion that marriage is something he aspires to and that he ultimately is capable of.
“How sweet to realize at a wedding, that all hope ain’t lost on me, safe to say that I finally might get it.” Pillsbury writes, concluding his battle with marriage and giving hope to his future relationships.
At the end of the night, the show wrapped euphorically with two back-to-back high-energy songs: “Sally When the Wine Runs Out” and “Harmony”.
As the band left the stage and the lights came back on, fans shuffled out of the venue ecstatic. With many running to the merch lines, or walking out singing aloud the song still stuck in their head, it was hard to believe the show was actually over. It didn’t have that typical end-of-show feel where you walk out and go home, keeping to your immediate party. Instead, it all felt very communal and everlasting. Many fans gathered together to talk about their favorite songs, show what merch they grabbed, and take pictures in front of the marquee, keeping the party going.
As the “Chuck On Tour” run comes to an end, it will be interesting to see what the next chapter holds for Role Model. Will he take a much-deserved break? Or will he hit the ground running once again and deliver another album cycle for the new year? Whatever he chooses, Sunday night proved that his fans will support him no matter what.
Catch Role Model on tour in North America now through October 18, before he heads to Europe in February 2027.
