Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers Live at 3S Artspace, Portsmouth, NH 4/23/16. Show Review + Photos

Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers played an amazing and emotional show last night in Portsmouth, NH at 3S Artspace.  I am ashamed to say I didn't hear of Phoebe until I saw she was touring with Julien. Well lets just say I'm very happy that the two toured together not only because the show was incredible but because Phoebe is an amazingly talented artist. The two could have been sisters or close cousins, and are cut from the same cloth. Listening to their voices there are a lot of great similarities but enough differences in their approach and song writing to keep you fully invested in both equally.

Bridgers opened the show and played some songs alone before bringing out a friend on drums whose name escapes me (sorry dude but sweet drumming and your voice harmonized really well with Phoebe's). The singer songwriter, dressed all in black and sporting purple hair told of her and Baker's adventures in a cemetery and the Portsmouth salt flats before singing through a good chunk of folk and indie inspired sad songs including a cover of a song the punk band she's also in wrote. Songs like the single "Killer" off her debut 7" under the same name, which was put out by Ryan Adams' label Pax-Am, and "Georgia" were mesmerizing. Bridgers contains herself on stage with not a ton of moving around, and it's hard not to be completely sucked into her performance. I really look forward to more releases from her in the future, and at 20 years old I'm sure there will be a plethora of them.

Baker came out not to long after Bridgers ended her set and by that point the stragglers in the back of the room had all moved in. I saw Baker perform back in January in Boston and that show had a lot of energy in it. The crowd was more energetic. This show felt stripped down, but in a good way. It felt more personal and it appeared that Baker felt the same way. It was an emotional course for both her and the audience. Baker played through a slowed down, intimate version of "Blacktop" that was bursting with emotion. Songs like "Rejoice" and "Everybody Does" were explosive with Baker singing at the top of her lungs and getting lost in the performance. Two new songs were played with Baker being at her most vulnerable. Singing below the mic, and being visibly over-run with emotion, it was beautiful and inspiring.

Baker closed her set with the entire attending audience singing "Something" along with her and it was a moment to hold on to. The group became one with the artist we were all there to see. It's different then attending a punk show or even a large venue concert where everyone is belting out tunes. This was personal. A quiet choir singing together crammed in a small venue and leaving it all out there.

A quick break and Baker and Bridgers came out together to perform the Elliott Smith cover of "Ballad Of Big Nothing" she recorded for the Say Yes! Tribute album. A wonderful collaboration of two amazingly talented artists singing undoubtedly one of their biggest influences. A perfect ending to an incredible show. If you missed it, you missed it.

You can see more of my photos from the show here and here.

See Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers play tonight in Cambridge, MA at The Sinclair and check out one of the few remaining dates on their tour.

Get Julien Baker's Sprained Ankle from 6131 Records
Get Phoebe Bridgers Killer 7" from Pax-Am Records
Say Yes! A Tribute to Elliott Smith will be out 10/14 on American Laundromat

Hinds Live at the Bowery Ballroom, NYC 3/9/16

I remember when I first heard Hinds. I think it was "San Diego" and I knew there was something special there. I love listening to a band and not really knowing much about them, but getting a really strong image of them just based on a few introductory tracks. With Hinds the image was so clear. Just through their tunes you can pick up the raw energy the band produces. It's authentic, it's real, it's special.

Hinds played a record release show in NYC prior to this date and all the reviews I read and pictures I saw made me kick myself for not jumping on the bus and heading the 5 hour trip down to be a part of it all. I guess record release "show" is the wrong title... maybe record release "party" is better suiting as that is what it was from what I saw. Fan karaoke, special guest musicians, complete madness!

Well when I saw Hinds were hitting the states on the second half of their Leave Me Alone World Tour I jumped on tickets.

There are two types of bands. There are bands that make records, good records, and sound really great on them but are a bit of a disappointment in their live performance, and there are bands who are the opposite. Some bands make good records but are fantastic live performers. Well, and then there is Hinds. So I guess there are three types of bands.

Hinds manage to record heartfelt songs that encompass raw emotion, and authenticity, but also manage to put on an incredible performance. Like I mentioned before, it really is more of a party at a Hinds show. It's overly clear that these ladies are having the time of their lives on that stage. It bursts through in wild rock outs, laughter, gut wrenching vocals, and at times, a coordinated guitar line with sequence dance moves.

Throughout the performance Carlotta Cosials and Ana Perrote who share guitar and vocal duties interact and speak to the audience. They do it in a way though that doesn't interrupt the forward momentum of the performance. Everything that this band does is wonderful and their attitudes are contagious. They are humble, excited, engaging, entertaining, and always involving.

After running through a set of favorites like "Bamboo," "Garden," and San Diego" the ladies returned to the stage to perform one of my favorite tracks, the instrumental "Solar Gap," and closed with the energetic and wild "Davey Crockett" which the crowd reacted to by storming the stage to dance, sings, and lose themselves in the world of Hinds. Fun, loose, real, positive, heartfelt, all things rad.

Viva Hinds!

I think the rest of the tour is sold out so if you missed out then you really missed out!


High points: Hinds "Shark" t-shirt. Bumping Ana with a door and then later apologizing and having a quick convo. I posted this on twitter and got a tweet from Ana. <3




*Photos taken by me.

Julien Baker at the Red Room. Boston, MA 1/23/16

Julien Baker played the Red Room at Cafe 939 last night 1/23/16) in Boston, MA. It was perhaps the most emotional and inspiring show I've ever been to. The snow was coming own hard outside and driving sucked but that didn't stop a packed crowd from filling up the venue.

The pop duo Gracie and Rachel (and Shawn) opened the show. The group plays really nice indie-pop with orchestral elements (violin) and minimal percussion. Definitely worth checking them out.

Baker followed soon after the duo +1 finished their set and moved their instruments.

Before I get into the show itself I just want to point out that Julien Baker is one of the most modest, genuine, artists / performers that I have seen. You can see the honesty pour out of everything she plays and sings. It's a definite breath of fresh air and based on the crowd of people who were digging the show, it's definitely noticed and felt by everyone else.

The set opened with the title track off her album, Sprained Ankle, which unfortunately for me was sold out (the LP) by the time I got to the merch table. Her voice is so good live as it is on the record. So much emotion. I brought my sister along and she couldn't get over her guitar playing. The tone and her playing is so good. She followed up with "Blacktop" and then "Rejoice" which was played due to a fan who had tweeted or Instagramed a comment about how she hoped Baker would play the song to make the night that much better. She played the song and even brought the girl a coffee but she had disappeared before she could give it to her.

The set also included "Vessels" and "Something" which were both super fucking good.

My favorite moments of the night were her performance of "Everybody Does." She got so into the song that they end turned into a full out rock out as she began to yell the vocals. The crowd sang along and everyone was really feeling it. "That was cool... thanks for keeping it real Boston," Baker said as the song ended.

My other favorite moment was when after a quick 30 second break after her set, Baker came back for one more and played my favorite song on the record, "Go Home." I have been watching live videos of her past performances and have not seen that one live. It makes sense due to the piano, but when she hit a pedal and I heard the piano track I almost lost it. Super emotional, super clean, super feels.

A great show from beginning to end. It;s always great to dig an artist and see them live and witness that they are not only extremely talented but genuinely humble and real.

I highly recommend seeing Baker play whenever you can and make sure to grab the record asap!
Read my review of Sprained Ankle.

Check this video of Julien Baker playing "Vessels" from the show.









*Photos taken by Adam W Gerhold (me).