written and photographed by Joshua Cabral

There’s something about The Ritz in Raleigh that makes every show feel larger than life. That night, it wasn’t just about live music  it was about connection, emotion, and storytelling.

Delacey opened the night with an intimacy that gripped the crowd. Known for writing chart toppers for artists like Halsey and Demi Lovato, she showed us her own world, stripped back, raw, and brutally honest. Her voice cut through the room with a smoky elegance, and you could feel the weight behind every lyric. Raleigh stood still, drawn in by the power of simplicity.

Then came X Ambassadors, and the energy shifted immediately. The band from Ithaca, New York, has built a reputation for turning deeply personal music into anthems that resonate worldwide. Their set was explosive, emotional, and magnetic, but nothing hit harder than when they played “Unsteady,” all while celebrating a very special birthday to lead singer Sam Harris! 

When “Unsteady” first hit the world in 2015, it wasn’t just another single, it was a slow burn that caught fire everywhere. A song about family, fragility, and holding on through chaos. It blew up across radio, movies, and streaming, becoming a lifeline for listeners who needed those words: “Hold, hold on, hold on to me.” That night in Raleigh, hearing the crowd scream those lyrics back at Sam Harris was something else entirely. The song carried a weight in the room, like every person had their own memory tied to it.

And that was just one moment in a set full of them. “Jungle” roared through the speakers like a battle cry, and “Renegades,” their breakout anthem, had the entire venue shouting in unison, celebrating individuality and rebellion. Sam commanded the stage with raw energy, while Casey’s keys painted the soundscape with that unmistakable X Ambassadors texture.

From behind my lens, I found myself not just documenting, but feeling. Watching a song like “Unsteady,” one that has touched millions, come alive in front of me, surrounded by voices that knew every word, was surreal. This wasn’t just a concert— it was a reminder of how powerful music can be when it belongs to everyone in the room.

X Ambassadors didn’t just perform in Raleigh, they brought stories, scars, and triumphs, and left us all a little more unsteady in the best way possible.

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