Who is Phoebe Bridgers?
Phoebe Bridgers is a Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter of dreamy and lyrical melancholy indie pop tunes. Bridgers emerged in 2015 and later released her first studio album, Stranger in the Alps, in 2017. Shortly after, she began collaborating with veterans such as Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker and forming the group Boygenius. In 2020, Bridgers released her latest studio album, Punisher, which garnered significant praise and a Grammy nomination.
In May of 2022, my friend Rhea and I saw Phoebe Bridgers in concert at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Dallas, Texas. Since we bought pit tickets, we arrived four hours before start time and camped outside the venue in the hot sun. Despite the sun’s unrest, it was worth it. We ended up in around the third row behind the stage’s barricade.
The concert began around 9 pm, with the band Sloppy Jane as the opener. After Sloppy Jane’s setlist, featuring songs that showcased their punk-rock and chamber-pop sound, Bridgers began her set around 10 pm. She performed according to the setlist pictured below, opening with “Motion Sickness,” the most well-known song from her album Stranger in the Alps.
Setlist
- Motion Sickness
- DVD Menu
- Garden Song
- Kyoto
- Punisher
- Halloween
- Smoke Signals
- Funeral
- Chinese Satellite
- Moon Song
- Scott Street
- Savior Complex
- ICU
- Sidelines
- Graceland Too
- I Know The End
Encore: Waiting Room
Bridgers performed her album Punisher in its entirety, along with some notable songs from Stranger in the Alps and her new single, “Sidelines.” Bridgers asked the crowd which song they wanted to hear for the encore, and the general consensus seemed to be “Waiting Room,” one of her oldest songs. Bridgers wrote, “Waiting Room” in her teenage years, which explains its dramatics and had only performed it live once prior to this show.
For me, I felt this concert in my soul. Dramatic, yes, but I think it’s an accurate description. It was a phenomenal experience. Remembering the entire pit singing and swaying along to Bridgers’ voice is intensely moving. Now, whenever I listen to her songs, I always refer back to the experience of hearing them live. If Phoebe Bridgers ever holds a concert near you, I highly recommend going and enjoying it for yourself.
