Phoebe Bridgers stuns Seattle with The Lost Tour
We headed to the Climate Pledge Arena for one of the most anticipated live shows of October. Phoebe Bridgers was back in Seattle for The Lost Tour stop supporting her third record, Lost Weekend. The first thing we noticed walking towards the venue was people in line putting all their electronics away in small bags. This was the first time I was attending a concert that was enforcing this. It was so great to see the focus on the music and not the phone and we were curious to see how it would be without all the distracting lights. I’m not sure when the last time was that I was without either my phone or watch. We need more of this I just didn’t prepare at all so had to stop really fast and grab some paper and a pen.
It was nice to see all the Pharbs in Phoebe themed outfits which were mostly suits and skeleton prints in all forms. There were a few ghosts seen around the arena as well. This was also perfect to see as Halloween is coming up and it fit great with the month’s theme. We walked into the arena and noticed how dark the room was without any electronics and focused on Stage B right away for the opener.
Alex G and his band were located on the round stage with perfect lighting set up around them. Last time we saw them was at Kilby Block Party in May and we really enjoyed their set. Tonight felt even more intimate as the smaller stage and low lighting created the right mood. Over the last few years Alex G has been building a great reputation for live performances and good vibes. After the release of his tenth record last year, Headlights, there has been more traction around him. Before the last song they took the time to thank all their crew members by name and Phoebe’s team for being great to work with. It’s something you don’t see often at such large shows, so it was nice to see the emphasis on the people behind the scenes putting all of it together.
Looking over across the room to the main stage we noticed that it was mostly taken by a huge lit dome which was waiting to be opened. Could be a greenhouse, could be an igloo, could be a planetarium, who knows? Behind it there was the huge screen with transparent curtains in the front and as we all waited for the main act the static screen made them seem very retro. When the music started our eyes focused on the light above Stage B which looked like a modern disco ball/asteroid flashing to the beat of “The Outside.” Once that was done our attention shifted back to the main stage as “Emotion Sickness” started and slowly the dome lifted to reveal the musicians inside. Bridgers stood in the middle with her guitar wearing black as her platinum blonde hair glowed and silver tears sparkled down her eyes. The live video displayed on the screen as the transparent curtains in front of it made it seem like a dream. The dome that uncovered the set lifted slowly and almost looked like a starship with the smoke and lights coming from the bottom pushing its way up slowly.
Bridgers stopped to say hi for the first time to her fans “What’s up Seattle? I wrote this next one with my friend Alex G.” “Lost Boys” kicked off and the crowd went wild with the popular tune. The dome now was above them as the bottom was completely flat facing and displaying visuals. This production masterpiece was an incredible design piece that added so much to the story of the concert. During “Moon Song” Bridgers stopped the song to get help for a fan in GA then restarted at the second verse. While “Panorama” was finishing off the dome slowly closed with the band inside as the baton passed to State B.
The lights turned on the ball above it dancing to the music as Phoebe moved her way to the back of the floor. When the song ended and we could see Bridgers again, she was seated on the floor with a keyboard and before starting “Lost Weekend,” she added “This one is for Damian Jurado who is here tonight.” The track interpolates “The Last Great Washington State” and it was cool to see the nod to a Seattle native artist. The light above her seemed like it was creating molecules and building another universe flashing around the room. It was pure magic to see and no way of truly being able to explain. Then the band joined her on the intimate round moving stage for “Funeral” as lighters flickered in the arena and our blues kicked in to the beautiful sound.
I think one of the most emotionally charged moments of the night occurred when Bridgers started to discuss dads and her stories of good men. She gave a shot out to Steve who lives in Seattle who was a great influence and used to take Phoebe to Bumbershoot when she was a teenager visiting our city. Then she spoke about her father who she had a complicated relationship with. She mentioned that he was a liberal person, who taught her a lot about music, but was also very violent. Hearing her say that she always told herself that she would rather die than be like him was so honest and sad. “It’s so profound because I had all of this anger before he died and then once he did and that threat was gone, I had a lot of empathy for him.” This really hit hard as she continued, “A lot of this album is about him, and it was hard to record sometimes, and I had to leave the studio a few times while recording. Not having phones on this tour really helped mitigate a lot of the angst to perform these emotional songs live and to share this with you. I can’t thank you enough for the experience.”
Bridgers played “Still Standing” solo with her acoustic guitar and with every word we leaned into the song more, “Sometimes I want you back, but not today.”
After “As Above,” she returned to the main stage for “Bobby.” The dome was not absent during this whole time as it was matching the lights on Stage B in the distance. Bridgers gave the choice to her fans to pick between two songs with their screaming and “Waiting Room” won over “Georgia” at the show tonight. People were really excited with the song and the words echoed in the large arena.
Then she introduced her guitarist Mika as he walked up to be by her side just the two of them. “I like to play covers at my shows to introduce people to some cool bands. This next one is by Nirvana; you should really check them out.” The fans smiled and knew she would soon be playing “Lithium” for the first time on the tour which she had covered for BBC. “I still remember when we played it that day because my appendix was exploding and I was in so much pain, but it turned out great.”
The main set finished with “I Know the End” and the memorable collective scream that fans let out joining the song. Perhaps our screams let out all of the things we were holding on and remembered during the emotional set. This is a great way to end the show as the dome once again closed hiding the musicians inside.
Bridgers returned to Stage B solo again sitting on the floor with a keyboard. The black light hit the small stage, and everything was bright around her including her silver tears that were even more visible now. During the bridge the band joined in from the main stage and as they faced each other playing together, the moment stood out. She remained on the smaller stage until the end with “Never Going Back!” as the floor and 100 level seats near her filled with paper hearts. The fan organized project was a great way to show their connection with Bridgers and appreciation of being so emotionally open on this tour, trying to reciprocate the same.
After Bridgers finished the song, she asked who had coordinated the hearts for the show and a person on the floor raised their hand she turned to them and said thank you so much for doing this. She just seems like a mysterious humble human that wants to play her music for people to enjoy. What an amazing night she shared with all of us who were not so lost after being a part of it.
This was definitely a show no one there is forgetting anytime soon. I’m not sure if it was the no phones experience after such a long time but it was incredible. I never realized just how distracting they are to a concert and the moment. It was nice to just sit there and be immersed in the show for a couple of hours, phone and watch free and to see others around me feel the same way. I really do feel that this is a great thing to keep doing moving forward. Some alarms will ring, we won’t know the time, we’ll have to take handwritten notes in the dark (me) but trust me it’s all worth it.
Photos: Matt Grubb and Wes Ellis