boygenius
White Oak Music Hall
June 8, 2023
Outdoor shows are always a dicey proposition in H-Town. There aren’t all that many open-air venues, but veterans of the Pavilion lawn or Miller Outdoor Theater know the … let’s call it “mercurial” nature of our city’s weather.
Friday night at White Oak Music Hall, storms blowing through in the late afternoon/early evening led to a lengthy delay and abbreviated set by indie pop supergroup boygenius, but they still delivered an enthusiastically received performance to the soggy crowd.
“Indie pop supergroup” aren’t three words that get put together too often. Supergroups, as usually envisioned, tend to skew towards genres like rock (Audioslave, Them Crooked Vultures), hip-hop (Prophets of Rage) or EDM (Major Lazer).
There are exceptions, of course. Think CSNY, or more recently; Cry Cry Cry and I’m With Her. And while the indie/folk assemblages are fewer and farther between, they tend to share one similarity with their bigger name brethren: the conscious decision of those involved to come together and record or tour together.
Such is not the case with boygenius, who had a more indirect origin. Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus were friends first, growing close through mutual admiration of each other’s musicianship and shared unpleasant experiences in the music industry. A 4-song EP followed, and then by a tour. The trio’s first full-length album, The Record, was released earlier this year. A critical success, The Record showcases the songwriting and musical skills of all three members, who were already acclaimed solo artists in their own right.
A 90-minute delay in opening doors meant no opening act, and fans were still lined up for blocks to get in when the first song started. It was was also the first song off The Record: “Without You Without Me,” performed backstage as almost a vocal warmup. A raucous “$20” followed, as boygenius proceeded to run through just about every track on The Record and their 2018 self-titled EP.
Bridgers thanked everyone in attendance for “going through that” before adding, “fuck the rain.” This was followed by a brief onstage discussion about the benefits of precipitation (Bridgers is from drought-stricken California). The show may have been shortened, but the banter between the three only suffered slightly.
The songs Dacus sings lead on benefit from her warmer, driving voice, while Baker’s is more tentative, until she decides not to be (“Anti-Curse”). Bridgers comes across as more conversational, almost fluttery, but the songs written by each share confessional, deeply personal lyrics. You can hear the influences of songs like Dacus’s “VBS” or Baker’s “Crying Wolf” in “Emily I’m Sorry” and “Leonard Cohen.” Baker took center stage for most of the show, but switched out with Bridgers and Dacus for “Leonard Cohen” and “Letter to an Old Poet.”
Bridgers may be the most successful (and most visible, thanks in no small part to an opening slot on the Eras Tour), but as a purely personal preference, Dacus really stands out. “True Blue” — with lines like “When you don’t know who you are, you fuck around and find out” — and “Anti-Curse” were definite high points.
“Not Strong Enough” and “Salt in the Wound” were excellent almost-final cuts leading into “Ketchum, ID.” Due to weather-related time constraints, the usual three-fer encore was limited to “Graceland Too” by Bridgers, and par for the course for the night, they had to restart it twice.
The thing about boygenius is: their output is a cohesive whole. Unlike similar so-called “supergroup” efforts, which tend to make sure each individual gets their precious guitar solo, you can hear how Bridgers, Baker, and Dacus have influenced each other. And their live performances reflect that collaboration. Last night was a great hang, I just wish the elements had allowed it to go on longer.
Personal Bias: I’m more of a Dacus fan, but as a unit this group is f*cking solid.
The Crowd: A lot of folks not prepared for the effects of WOMH mud on fashionable footwear.
Overheard In The Crowd: “Was that a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down?”
Random Notebook Dump: “And hurricane season just started.”
SET LIST
Without You Without Them
$20
Satanist
Emily I’m Sorry
True Blue
Cool About It
Souvenir
Bite the Hand
Stay Down
Leonard Cohen
Me & My Dog
We’re in Love
Anti‐Curse
Letter to an Old Poet
Not Strong Enough
Salt in the Wound
Ketchum, ID
ENCORE
Graceland Too
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2023.
