Phoebe Bridgers doesn’t hold anything back.
This is evident in her first two studio albums “Stranger in the Alps” and “Punisher,” which have by themselves propelled the 27-year-old to the top of the indie rock ladder. She headlines a group of women that are transforming the genre with a punkish and folksy flare, with Claire Cottrill – or Clairo – and Lindsey Jordan of Snail Mail among those following swiftly.
Yet, Bridgers is innately different than almost any other act in music today, her vulnerability and powerful lyrics have managed to capture the essence of her predecessors’ style while providing comfort to those deeply entrenched in the darkness. Every song she so eloquently sings is a chapter of her story, one that without a doubt is as jarring as it is raw.
In support of “Punisher” which was released during the first summer of the COVID-19 pandemic in June 2020, Bridgers led off the second leg of her “Reunion Tour” at the Arizona Federal Theatre in Phoenix on Wednesday night.
And once again, Bridgers didn’t hold anything back.
Beginning with her esteemed 2017 single “Motion Sickness,” Bridgers immediately sent the entire venue into a harmonic embrace, with lyrics echoing between screams of disbelief from the crowd. Her supporting band, which featured JJ Kirkpatrick on the trumpet, Nick White on keys and Harrison Whitford on the guitar among others, contributed to the cinematic feel of the show throughout, helping set a melancholic tone from the start.
Equally as important to the theme of the show was the stunning production value and visual effects that served as the backdrop for Bridgers’ performance, most notably, a virtual pop-up book illustrating her storytelling behind each track off of “Punisher.”
A broken home slowly burning down as she belted “I Know the End” and a lush garden landscape fittingly for “Garden Song” stood out for their depictions and how they reflected the tracks individually.
Bridgers herself often retreated from center stage to gaze upon these visuals whenever a break in a song permitted her to do so, almost as if she actually was flipping through a book while reliving past experiences. The somberness of moments like these was real, and it cut deep emotionally not just for her but for an audience exposed to it as well.
If there’s anything Bridgers is undeniably good at, it’s making you feel the emotions that she felt with a particular song or memory. It’s potent in her songwriting and it presents itself in moments like these in real time. There aren’t many other artists who have managed to romanticize sadness while contrasting those concepts vocally, instrumentally and thematically.
Her brief aside between tracks to say “This is for my dad” before diving headlong into the always upbeat – yet lyrically thought-provoking – “Kyoto” encapsulated this beautifully. As memorable lyrics painted the relationship between Bridgers and her father, it proved hard for the audience to sing along without appreciating the lighthearted image that the tempo and horns from Kirkpatrick portray.
The same can be said for her performances of “ICU” and “Graceland Too,” where even from the back of the auditorium the hymns of past lovers felt like a warm breeze as the audience came together in synchronized tune.
Bridgers unquestionably remains consistent throughout these songs vocally, and it shines through on both of her solo records and in a live setting. Her voice is gentle, softly coaxing listeners as one track flows into another much like her idol Elliot Smith, a pioneer of alternative sadcore during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
But just like Smith, Bridgers’ words have bite, piercing like needles as she narrates from a place of genuine despair. Her performance of “Funeral,” a song as sorrowful as its title suggests, beautifully summarizes how well Bridgers is able to use her voice as a conduit to a particular emotion.
The simplicity of the track’s instrumentation gave way to the heaviness that Bridgers’ words carried as traditional stained glass church windows towered behind her.
Among all the other noteworthy performances of songs like “Scott Street” and “Chinese Satellite,” Bridgers also performed her latest original number titled “Sidelines,” which was released Friday. Her reluctance to play the track for the first time live made for a humorous moment between her and drummer/producer Marshall Vore, who was asked if he was ready to play it.
“It’s not like this isn’t going to be all over the internet the first time we play this song,” Bridgers quipped.
Bridgers’ wonderful voice once again shined along with backing vocals from Vore while chiming keys cascaded in the background throughout the track. The song is set to be featured in an upcoming Hulu series called “Conversations With Friends
She screamed through “I Know the End,” spoke softly on “Savior Complex,” and delivered a sparkling performance everywhere else in between, but by the end of her set, all that remained was her. Bridgers finished with a brilliant rendition of “Me & My Dog,” a song she helped write with fellow indie rockers Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker in 2018 as a part of the trio, boygenius.
With a lone spotlight flooding down upon her as the rest of the venue went black, it became clear just how special this show was.
Bridgers is distinctive in many ways, but not just because she can tell a story with unrivaled attention to detail or because of the inspiration she is for so many fans and aspiring artists as a bisexual woman in a rapidly diversifying genre of music. What sets her apart is her ability to mold all of these things together in the most tasteful and passionate way possible and to bring an audience to tears in doing so.
This was exemplified perfectly in her final moments on stage on Wednesday.
She strummed away at her guitar and tenderly sang as she did the whole night. But as moving as all her other songs were, her short and sweet solo piece only allowed listeners to appreciate the great parts of those performances even more.
Just like Bridgers’ last words Wednesday night, I can’t help but cling to the memory of a night that was equally as blissful as it was engulfed by darkness.
“I dream about it, and I wake up falling.”
Contact the reviewer at cabradl4@asu.edu.
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