Alex Sampson Brings His First Headline Tour to Minneapolis
February 28, 2026 - Minneapolis, MN
Canadian singer-songwriter Alex Sampson played for a packed venue in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on February 28. His “Thank You For Loving Me” tour is gaining even more traction after a viral TikTok video with him and his opener, maryjo. After seeing him open for Jamie Miller last year, seeing Sampson again was a must for me.
Best known for his time on America’s Got Talent, Sampson, at just 22, continues to make waves with his music and online social media presence. His most recent EP, released in 2024, Hopeless Romantic, taps into the emotions of being lost in infatuation. Now, on his first headlining tour, Sampson has an opportunity to show what he’s all about.
Being in a venue as small as 7th St. Entry is advantageous for several reasons, and artist interaction is one of them. An hour before the show started, maryjo came out to talk to everyone because the crowd was singing and cheering loudly to the pre-show setlist. Sampson even poked his head out from backstage a few times, garnering shrieks and screams from fans eagerly awaiting his set to start.
Maryjo’s personality stole the opening set. There’s no doubt she’s talented, but she’s also incredibly open, honest, and bold. Her set was entirely acoustic, and she wasn’t wearing in-ears, which made every comment the fans said audible to her and broke down every barrier. Even though she was dealing with a persistent cough, she still managed to put on an incredibly enjoyable set. She played several unreleased songs, including “One Night Stand” and “Stop Sign.” During her cover of “Still Into You” by Paramore, maryjo came into the crowd and had a full-on dance party with everyone. The energy for her set was electric, and it fueled the rest of the night.
Sampson strutted out singing “Used to You" and the fans greeted with energy reflected back at him. Fans who had been waiting outside the venue since 6 AM finally got what they were waiting for. A smiling Sampson cruised through “Friend Zone” and “Stay Here” to get the night started.
Prior to the show starting, fans passed out old photos of Sampson, and on the back it said, "Hold up during 'Growing Pains.'" Once “Growing Pains” started, photos of Sampson filled the crowd. Once Sampson noticed, he plucked a few from the crowd and commented on each photo throughout the song. The die-hard fans in the front row made quite the impression and ensured that their love for Sampson was palpable.
Each night, Sampson learns a song on guitar in the green room and comes out to play it. For the Minneapolis crowd, he played one verse of “Homewrecker” by sombr. He also covered “Man I Need” by Olivia Dean, but that one has permanent residency on his setlist.
Throughout the night, Sampson portrayed a star quality with a charisma that took over the crowd. He took videos on fans’ phones and photos on their disposable cameras. There wasn’t a quiet moment of the night. He wrapped up his show with fan favorites like “Pretty Baby” and “Play Pretend.”
Still so young, Sampson has his entire career in front of him. His trajectory is only upwards, and we’ll see how high he can reach.
