After asking the audience if they had been to their 2018 performance at Brooklyn Steel, a show in which they had previously claimed to be their favorite New York show. Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus, collectively known as boygenius, agreed that the Madison Square Garden concert on Oct. 3 immediately topped that experience. Between Baker and Dacus shedding tears, MUNA’s exhilarating opening act and Bridgers and Dacus flashing the audience (fans have coined this occurance as “boobgenius”), fans couldn’t help but agree.
The night featured an indigenous speaker who educated the audience on the importance of land acknowledgement and voting, followed by an earth-shaking performance by opener MUNA. When considering the role opening acts play in getting the crowd excited for the main act, it is safe to say their closing with hit song, “Silk Chiffon” featuring Phoebe Bridgers, did just that.
As boygenius began their set, their tried and true blue introductory song: “The Boys Are Back in Town” by Thin Lizzy began to play, sending shockwaves of excitement through the screaming crowd. Behind closed curtains, they segwayed into, “Without You, Without Them” from their latest album, “The Record,” kicking off the rest of the show. As soon as they ran onto the stage, the audience cheered on as Baker sang the opening verse of “$20.”
Baker celebrated her friendship with Bridgers and Dacus, stating: “These guys have given me my voice back, many times before this and in many ways,” as she expressed her prior fear of singing in group work. Upon singing “Letter To An Old Poet,” Bridgers asks the audience to put their phones away and states “If anyone can relate to this song, I’m sorry.”
When it came time to perform their beautifully haunting solos dedicated to each other, “Please Stay,” “Favor,” and “Graceland Too” both the audience-filled arena and trio were left in a puddle of tears. The bands’ appreciation for each other seemingly evident as they gathered together for a group embrace. They then disappeared into an unpredicted other stage in the center of the arena, to sing their unreleased EP, featuring songs such as: “Black Hole,” “Afraid of Heights,” “Voyager” and “powers.”
The night was filled with queer-joy and sapphic energy throughout the entire arena. Tears of joy, tears of sadness, sloshing cups and much more made the night at the Garden unforgettable. On top of being an incredibly exciting night, the safe space boygenius and MUNA had provided for the LGBTQ+ community is unforgettable.
Boygenius has an EP set to release at midnight, on Friday, Oct. 13 2023.
