Morgan Wade Blends Rock & Roll Grit with Country Soul in Captivating Live Performance

Photos and concert review by Kelsey Stanger

Union Transfer, Philly, PA: March 16, 2025

Morgan Wade’s Philadelphia stop on her “The Obsessed Tour” brought her to Union Transfer on Sunday, March 16th. The country singer from Virginia played a 17 song set of raw, heart on her sleeve songs that had the audience mesmerized from start to finish. Wade’s edgy take on country music is a unique (and in my opinion much needed) addition to the typical artists on the scene today. The 30 year old singer, who is covered in tattoos, took the stage rocking a pair of jeans and tshirt. A refreshing change from the glitz, glam, and knee high cowboy boots that is often seen. Wades songs clearly don’t need anything but her powerhouse voice to pack the punch they do.

Opener Elizabeth Cook started the night with a solo acoustic set that was blunt, real, and at times heartbreaking. Her Americana style songs written about her personal experiences of a hard upbringing and family members who’ve faced addiction, loss, and even jail time had the entire crowd locked in. Cooks up beat and warm personality shinned through as she spoke to the audience between songs, letting the crowd into the meaning and inspiration behind each one. Her song “Sometimes It Takes Balls to Be a Woman” was a clear favorite among the crowd. A song Cook said got her banned from country radio at the time and joked she was gonna play it now “cause they can’t stop me!”

Morgan Wade took the stage to an intro of “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” before breaking into her song “Total Control.” With a gritty southern accent and badass exterior, her songs are that of a bleeding heart. Honest, vulnerable, and sometimes heavy. A powerful combination that was felt through the entire venue. The singer was backed by an equally as fierce band with rock driven guitar, impressive solos, and a surprising baritone horn making an appearance. Almost as impressive was the audience who appeared to be taking the show in with very minimal phone time. A truly rare occurrence that speaks volumes to Morgan’s ability to hold her audiences connection. The crowd was singing along to every song, fully immersed in the moment, only pulling their phones out to snap a quick photo or video from time to time.

The set included a number of songs off her 2024 album “Obessed” including “Time to Love, Time to Kill,” “2Am in London,” and “Juliet,” as well as a handful of songs from her previously released records. Playing guitar on multiple songs, Wade effortlessly shifted between her more hard hitting tracks and heartfelt ballads and ended the show with her most popular hit “Wilder Days.”

Wade has perfected the mix of rock energy, emotional storytelling, and country bite, blurring genre lines while staying true to her country roots. To box Morgan Wade into being a country singer feels like a disservice to everything she is, which is clearly so much more.