Read previous – Mitski @ Union Transfer
On the day of the show, it’s rumored that the line began to form outside Franklin Music Hall at 8am. In what was already the hottest stretch of days all summer, the temps on that Sunday (7/24) were forecasted to be the hottest yet. While many came prepared with water and umbrellas to shade them from the sun, not everyone was so fortunate. When I showed up to the venue 2 hours before doors, the line was already wrapped around the building and onto N 6th Street. I can’t say I was surprised, though – the cult of Mitski is large and devoted. Originally scheduled to occur in March (because COVID), the additional months of waiting only added to the fervor and anticipation. When the doors finally opened, a seemingly unending stream of people continued to fill the venue well into Mitski’s set – ish was cray, for real.
Not to brag, but I’ve been around since the Bury Me at Makeout Creek days. It’s been fascinating to see the growth of her popularity with each subsequent album release. That popularity isn’t all positive, though. In 2019, she announced she would be quitting music in part due to her “unrelenting” fan base. Thankfully, Mitski did change course and blessed us with her 6th studio LP Laurel Hell at the beginning of this year.
Prior to the start of her set, Mitski addressed the crowd to remind everyone to be safe and to seek care at the medical station if needed (of which many people did need). She then immediately broke into performance character and kicked off her set with “Love Me More” (from Laurel Hell). While she performed a decent number of tracks from Laurel Hell (including “Should’ve Been Me”, “Stay Soft”, and “The Only Heartbreaker”), her setlist also generously spanned her last 3 albums (Be the Cowboy, Puberty 2, and Bury Me at Makeout Creek) – all of which the crowd sang along loudly. The climax of the set was during her performance of “Drunk Walk Home” – while her performance of that song no longer includes her guttural screams at the song’s conclusion, she compensates with her intense choreography and stage presence. All in all, Mitski performed 20+ songs (including an encore of “A Pearl”). No major complaints here, but I do wish she would bring back “My Body’s Made of Crushed Little Stars” – a song that I consider quintessential Mitski.
Mitski will be hitting a number of festivals for the remainder of the year – I’m very tempted to catch her again when she plays the All Things Go Festival in Columbia, MD on October 1st. That lineup also includes Lorde, Bleachers, Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker, Bartees Strange, and MICHELLE! See all of Mitski’s upcoming tour dates here.
Check out Mitski’s latest music video for “Stay Soft” below and keep scrolling to see more photos from the show (including opener The Weather Station).
