Pharb Convention: Phoebe Bridgers Concert Review
“A copycat killer with a chemical cut” may be what Phoebe Bridgers has dubbed herself, but after attending both Boston shows of her “Reunion” tour, I could not disagree more. Phoebe is one of a kind, standing out from her peers with her complex duality of melancholy and energy.
From the moment I stepped on the T, ready to make the sacred journey to Leader Bank Pavilion, Phoebe’s audience was quickly identifiable. Dressed head to toe in black, clad in Doc Marten, usually with dyed hair and some kind of skeleton accessory, we were the antithesis to the Red Sox fans who were attending the Yankees v. Red Sox game that same night.
The band MUNA opened for Phoebe, appealing to the audience right away when lead singer Katie Gavis announced she was feeling “particularly gay tonight.” MUNA brought a sizzling energy and upbeat pace, starting the concert off to an unusually happy tone for Phoebe’s audience. Phoebe came out during their set to thunderous applause, introduced by Gavis as “Phoebe f*cking Bridgers”, looking endearingly awkward without her guitar. She sang her featured part on MUNA’s newest song “Silk Chiffon”, a poppy song that stands in stark contrast to Phoebe’s entire discography.
Phoebe, who is known for devastating lyrics even in her few fast paced songs, began the concert with a bang, taking the stage with her band to The Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling”, before truly capturing the dichotomy that is Phoebe by transitioning to her opening song, Motion Sickness. Motion Sickness, despite being one of her only fast songs, has not escaped the “Phoebe treatment”, with heart wrenching lyrics beginning from the opening line “I hate you for what you did, but I miss you like a little kid.”
Phoebe played every song from her latest album Punisher in order, as well as sprinkling in fan favorites from her debut Stranger in the Alps, and even “Me & My Dog” from her album “boygenius”, a collaboration with fellow indie singers Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus. Highlights included titletrack “Punisher”, during which she kneeled down and placed a fan’s pair of glow stick bunny ears on her head and “ICU”, as she was drowned out by the audience on the line “I hate your mom, I hate it when she opens her mouth”. “Graceland Too” also evoked a particular catharsis for concert goers, especially in the wake of COVID-19, with lyrics “she knows she lived through it to get to this moment.”
Throughout the concert, despite the continuous gloomy tone, Phoebe appeared to be anything but blue. She wore a sparkly skeleton shirt and deadpanned comments before beginning most songs, introducing “Chinese Satellite” as a song she wrote “about a time I went running and hated it so much I had an existential crisis”. She also joked before singing “Georgia” that she was “a little embarrassed of the melodrama” of her high school self.
Phoebe did not hold back her political beliefs, grinning as the audience screamed the lyric “f*ck the cops” from “Smoke Signals” and asking before singing “ICU” (a song she revealed is about arguing over politics) “did anyone see that f*cking Trump bus today? What year is it?”.
Phoebe left the stage after her subjectively best song “I Know the End” - you may know it as the one she played on SNL before smashing her guitar, invoking misogyny and criticism from old men on Twitter. “I Know the End” was complete with fiery visuals, guitar solos, and of course the much needed cathartic scream that shook the venue and left my ears ringing for at least twenty minutes. In praising Phoebe, we cannot forget to give just as much praise to her band, particularly JJ Kirkpatrick on trumpet. His expertise added a juxtaposing and much needed energy to counteract the depressing nature of Phoebe’s lyrics.
Her encore and final song was “That Funny Feeling”, from Massachusetts native Bo Burnham’s comedy special, Inside. It was the perfect addition to her set, with lyrics that depict in a depressing yet ironic manner the current state of our world, with ending trumpets allowing for an energized exit. This dichotomy of sorrow and vitality perfectly captured the fine line and duality that makes Phoebe so much more than a copycat.
BY ELIORA ABRAMSON