Show Review: Phoebe Bridgers
By Lana Clifford
Despite the fact that I wouldn’t opt for zoom over a real-life concert anytime soon, Phoebe Bridgers didn’t disappoint. Connecting to the live concert, she was lounging in her iconic skeleton onesie. Holly DeBarger, our lovely host, was rocking a Phoebe Bridgers Christmas sweater. The vibes that night held the excitement of listening to a concert without the stress of leaving your living room.
Bridgers started with Kyoto, in what looked like her living room with the cutest antique armchair that did not go unnoticed in the chat. This song was amazing and established a soft acoustic sound that set the mood for the rest of the night. She followed with Motion Sickness and Chinese Satellite back to back, and with each note, I felt bliss despite the sorrow in her lyrics. Those songs are my two all-time Phoebe favorites, and when the concert ended, I played them on repeat. They were both so bare and emotional, and I was not the only one tearing up hearing them.
After each and every song, the comments on zoom would blow up with students giving her music so much love, but it's never normal having to type “clap” or “applause” instead of being able to do it in person. We all miss concerts where our eardrums burst from the screaming and clapping of thousands of people. Part of the reason why we love music is the thrill and experience we get hearing it live, but we don’t have that luxury right now.
Throughout the concert, DeBarger interviewed Bridgers in between songs and facilitated a live Q&A. One of the questions she asked Bridgers was “what was the longest minute in your life?” Her response was shocking to everyone when she told the story of her having a yeast infection on a plane, but after hearing how DeBarger flashed a bartender to get a free drink studying abroad in Rome, I guess anything goes.
Someone in the live Q&A asked what music makes her sad, and she said simply listening to her artists she has signed gives her inspiration. Bridgers also shared a playlist she made called Pain, but I know people are still salty because she didn’t share the link.
One of the biggest connections I saw throughout the concert was with her lyrics; they really speak to all her fans and the people listening on zoom. In the chat, there was someone always typing her next measure of lyrics before she sang them. People really felt her emotions in each song. Hearing Bridgers sing live, rather than on Spotify, brought it to another level. Her voice was vulnerable and beautiful; an ephemeral distraction from reality.