Mitski stopped in Philadelphia, PA this past Sunday as she wraps up a handful of rescheduled show dates from March 2020. With support from The Weather Station, Mitski gave her fans a much anticipated experience at the Franklin Music Hall. The indie rock singer just released her sixth studio album earlier this year titled Laurel Hell and will be continuing her tour of the same name once these rescheduled shows are complete.
Thousands of fans waited patiently in the late-July heat as lines wrapped around the entire venue for hours on end. Inside the venue was not much better; due to the high capacity, everyone was sweating and had no choice but to deal with the heat. Venue staff graciously passed out water bottles and audience members helped distribute them. It was very refreshing to see strangers help one another and work together in order to make the night as safe and manageable as possible.
Before Mitski began her performance, she came out on stage to address the crowd. She acknowledged the overwhelming heat and informed us that there were places to sit and hydrate in the back of the venue. She encouraged us to take care of ourselves and to leave if needed. It is always heart-warming to see an artist who cares so much about the safety and well-being of their fans. Before long, the set began, and the venue erupted in some of the loudest screams and chants I had ever heard.
Mitski opened with Love Me More off of the album Laurel Hell. From the moment the music began she completely captivated the audience with her haunting vocals and beautiful choreography. The stage set up was quite simple, with only a door in the background and the rest of her band scattered throughout, but all eyes were on Mitski. Her enchanting presence paired with the heart-achingly honest words of her lyrics allow for a Mitski show to feel much more like a theatrical experience than a typical concert. She is raw and real on that stage, with her heart on her puffy, lavender colored sleeve, and passion in her voice.
Her rendition of Working for the Knife was incredibly intense. Halfway through the song, Mitski, drenched in scarlet red lighting, slowly and sensually pointing the microphone out at the crowd before dragging the microphone across her neck and bringing it down between the fabric of her dress. Working for the Knife was the first release after her brief hiatus from music, detailing the pressure of the music industry and the expectations she feels are forced on her. The emotionally charged lyrics paired with her movements, which are also inspired by a form of Japanese dance called butoh, created a dynamic and layered performance.
Mitski performed 21 songs in total, including several fan favorites such as I Bet on Losing Dogs, Washing Machine Heart, First Love / Late Spring, and Nobody. As the night progressed so did the intensity of her songs, at one point completely rocking out just before the encore. Lights flashing, Mitski dancing and gliding across the entire stage, and thousands of mouths agape at the beauty of it all. She played A Pearl, a song off of her 2018 album Be the Cowboy and one of my personal favorites, as the final song.
You can find additional tour dates here, and be sure to follow Mitski on Instagram and Facebook.
