Live: Boygenius Crash the Baker, Bridgers and Dacus Party @ The Moore
Julien Baker + Phoebe Bridgers w/ Lucy Dacus
Nov. 24, 2018
The Moore Theatre, Seattle
Words and Photos by Eric Tra
Once in a while, a live show makes you feel things you never thought you could. Phoebe Bridgers’ and Julien Baker’s co-headlining performance featuring Lucy Dacus at the Moore Theatre was that show. The evening featured four sets, one for each artist, and a very special encore performance by boygenius, the project the three performers recorded earlier this year that has everyone rightfully buzzing. From Baker’s powerful, sorrow-filled melodies to Phoebe Bridgers’ candid on-stage humor this was an unforgettable show for many.
Virginia’s Lucy Dacus kicked things off with a rocking start with songs like “Addictions” and “Map on a Wall.” She remarked that she wasn’t aware that The Moore was seating only and encouraged fans to “bop along” if they wanted. The set consisted of seven songs and concluded with “Night Shift.”
Bridgers began with “Smoke Signals,” the opening track on her excellent 2017 album Stranger in the Alps. Bridgers’ performances are a treat. Emotional yet quirky, with uplifting melodies that usually manifest into gorgeous rock songs. This is no more apparent than in the song “Motion Sickness.” A highlight from Bridgers’ set was a special guest appearance from fellow tour-mate and Seattle native, Noah Gundersen, who performed “Killer” as a duet.
Of the three main sets of the show, Baker’s was the most minimally backed in regards to instrumentation—however, shortly after she began singing, it was clear why. Her ability to completely capture the the attention of the audience with her voice alone is stunning. During some of the quieter moments in the set the entire venue was completely silent. It’s clear Baker puts everything she has into her words. You can see it in her face contorting to hit each note. Toward the end, she modestly hinted at the boygenius encore performance (pre-show promotion indicated it was not a boygenius show), which was met with a roar of applause.
As the house lights dimmed, Dacus, Bridgers, and Baker took the stage in matching black blazers. The supergroup played through a 7 song set that included the entire tracklist off of their self-titled album along with a Dixie Chicks cover of “Cowboy Take Me Away.” The group concluded the show with a beautiful performance of “Ketchum, ID.” Be sure to catch this tour if you can, this is one show that will leave you speechless, teary eyed, and wanting more.
See more of Eric’s photos from this performance in the album on our Flickr page. – Editor