A couple weeks ago, my boyfriend (who is perhaps the only person on this earth who was more excited for this than me) and I had the privilege of seeing Phoebe Bridgers in concert. Admittedly, I am a bit of a music snob and a harsh critic when it comes to live performances so trust me when I say – it is worth the hole in your bank account. For those of you who don’t know Phoebe Bridgers, she is a Grammy winning singer-songwriter of the indie-folk genre. Her specialty is the type of songs that make you simultaneously want to cry yourself to sleep and want to experience life to its fullest, which is perhaps the best compliment I can give an artist. She first rose to stardom with her 2017 album “Stranger In The Alps”, followed by her sophomore album “Punisher” in 2020, and finally this past year “Lost Weekend” – which details her grief and complex relationship with her recently deceased father. She is also part of Grammy winning supergroup “Boygenius” with Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus.
Nowadays, most concerts are filmed by the audience from the moment the singer enters the stage until the final encore is over. While recording a performance certainly has its perks, specifically for the fans that were unable to attend, it also deprives the audience of the very thing they came for. The show. People become so entranced in getting the perfect photo or video that they forget to actually live in the moment and experience what they paid hundreds to thousands of dollars for. To combat this, Bridgers implemented a strict “no phones” rule. Upon entering the venue, attendees’ phones were placed in a yondr pouch, only to be unlocked on their way out. I had never attended a phone-less show before, so I was skeptical. However, I now believe it was the right call as it allowed for the performance to have a level of intimacy that otherwise would not have been there, and for true human connections to form.
The opening act of the concert was performed by Alex G, an up-and-coming indie artist. It lasted for about an hour (my guesstimate, given that I didn’t have my phone to check the time) and was a great interlude to the main event. While I did not know many of his songs, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Before I discuss Bridger’s show, I would be remiss not to mention the beautiful stage. The main stage (there was a main stage and a smaller stage) was covered by a giant spaceship-like structure. This is on track with Lost Weekend’s visual theme and added to the otherworldly-Esque ambiance of her event. Bridgers mostly sang songs from her newest album, but also included several fan favorites from Stranger In the Alps and Punisher. If you thought these songs were sad through your headphones, they are devastating live. I’m not ashamed to admit I cried during her renditions of “Funeral” and “Graceland too”.
As somebody who has struggled with mental health issues, the themes in Phoebe Bridgers’ songs have always resonated deeply with me, making her one of my all time favorite artists. After the success of Boygenius’ 2023 album “The Record” and her father’s death, Phoebe announced a hiatus from the public eye (both in terms of social media presence and releasing new music). Fans theorized and feared she would never return, so this past year it was a wonderful surprise to see that not only did she create an (incredible) new album – but she was going on tour! Getting to see her in concert with a loved one (and a fellow massive fan) was truly a special experience, and while I am biased – I highly recommend attending the Lost Tour if you have the ability to do so!