boygenius at pomona theatre

I had the pleasure of being able to see Boygenius’ reunion in person, when I saw their debut album performed live on their opening night of tour last week. It was truly a night to remember. The overall feel of their album is a perfect combination of Julien Baker’s rock, Lucy Dacus’s romantic and quirky lyrics, and Phoebe Bridgers’s heart-wrenching acoustic pieces. The three artists combine in a way that is seen in many rock bands, but with the touch of indie that we love in their solo work. The three can be compared with Crosby, Stills, and Nash, which they often get by interviewers, and can agree that their influence is largely based on them. Their first EP, self-titled, which made its debut in 2018, has a cover replicating Crosby, Stills, and Nash’s debut album. While with their placement in the photo, it would seem Phoebe as Grahm Nash, Julien as Stephen Stills, and Lucy as Dave Crosby, when asked in interviews who they think each member is most like, the three will all say Neil Young, in fact. Though they jokingly compete over who is most like Young, they all have a point in their argument. Phoebe brings the fame factor to the group, having opened for Taylor Swift, being nominated for a Grammy, and having the largest following. Her solo work is also clearly influenced by his early work, with her incorporating Americana bluegrass in songs like Graceland, Too. She has said in many interviews he is one of her biggest inspirations, and that her favorite song is On the Beach, by Young. Julien provides the rock element that Young brought to the group, and Lucy offers her witty lyricism, as he did, too. This is not the only time the supergroup has been compared with men bands, such as Nirvana, as they replicated their iconic Rolling Stones magazine cover, when Boygenius had a feature cover on their own issue. The title itself states that they want to be first and foremost equal to any male rock group, and not an all-women rock group. Their album definitely stood up to many rock debut albums, male or female.

When I arrived at the theatre, the show was sold out, which makes sense, as it was their opening night - and just that they’re so good. I figured when I arrived, “It is what it is.” I was lucky to at least have GA tickets, so I would be closer to the front no matter what, than Balcony or Mezzanine. The thing for me is that I want to always get floor tickets because having seats is pointless in my experience. I want to be as close as I can to an artist when I see them live, but I knew, at this point, I was going to be in the back. People had been apparently waiting for a full day, which I’ve done before, and I know what it’s like. I have a lot of respect for those fans, but I felt that being alone, it wasn’t a good idea to stand around for hours out front, so I took what I could get. Eventually, I noticed two or three people exit the floor area, and immediately a male guard came to me and asked me, “Are you alone?” I nodded, and he said, “Okay, come with me.” excited, out of my mind, I followed him, as I heard somebody saying, “I want to go too,” behind me. He led me down the ramp, and I tried not to grin too broadly and not to squeal, as I made my way to the floor. I turned and saw he was walking further to the front, so I followed him until he brought me to the barricade. I couldn’t believe my luck, I was flying high. He squeezed me in, and I thanked him many times, showing him my boygenius tattoos all over my arms and chest. He told me he was also a roadie, and that “these are the memories you make when you’re a fan.” I nodded and looked around. Many young teen girls were surrounding me, all with groups of friends. I felt as though I was the only girl who had come alone, which may have been true. Every time I would tell people I went to shows alone, they seemed shocked at my bravery. To me, it will always be about the music, first and primary. I will never change my plans simply because I don’t have a friend to go with. To many people, I think going to concerts is really a social experience, but to me, it is a sacred thing between myself and the artist. I view it as a way to bond with my favorite artists and spend time with them, not anyone else. I also love going with my friends to shows, but it is not as vital to me as it may be to others. As I was waiting, I heard some rustling and looked to my left, as I was right by the stage’s entrance, with a sliding curtain covering it, which had just been drawn by Julien Baker herself, as she whispered something to the security guard. I was looking at her in awe the whole time, this artist who I loved so much, who I was about to see perform some of my favorite songs on earth, standing two feet beside me. She met my eyes, and smiled, and I felt like the most special person just to be seen by someone I admired so much. A few minutes later, Marshall Vore exited the stage exit, and I felt yet again awed.

The opening artists of the show were a band called the Illuminati Hotties, who had decent music but lacked a good stage presence, I think. They had slower, quirky music that definitely was a similar vibe to Boygenius, without its rock and roll element. When the band left, I saw the microphones getting adjusted and began to figure out which band member would stand where. The middle microphone was lowered, so I figured Julien would be in the center of the stage. The right side, furthest from me, was raised, so I figured Lucy would stand on that side, which left the other microphone to belong to Phoebe’s. This was a moment of pure joy, as I have stated before I adore Phoebe as an artist more than anyone else in this world. I was truly ecstatic. The boys came on stage with the song playing, “The boys are back in town,” very on the nose for the occasion. The stage went silent as the cheers died, and the three gathered around one microphone, singing their opening a capella track quickly, “without you, without them,” only singing about the first verse. The crowd roared with applause before the artists took their places and the first notes of “20$” played, just like on the track list of the album. This is a Julien song through and through, as she sings all of the main vocal parts, until the outro as Phoebe adds in the background, “May I please have 20$, can you give me 20$, I know you have 20$!” and screams loudly very on character, as the rest of the band lost it and played their guitars loudly. The crowd screamed along, akin to when Phoebe screams in her last track on her album punisher to her song “i know the end.”

From there, without stopping, they played “Satinist,” Another hard rock song where each person has a verse, but keeps Julien’s rock theme alive. At the first instrumental, after Phoebe sings “i burn my cash and smash my old TV,” the band members, particularly Julien, fully “rocked out,” on stage, as Julien thrashed her head as she ran across the stage to Phoebe, where they jammed as the lights flashed red and white. It was the scene of a true rock and roll moment, and portrays this album as first and foremost, that kind of album.

From there, the audience went wild, and there was a pause before Phoebe led into her solo single, “Emily Im Sorry.”

When the album was announced to be released, they released three singles: “20$, Emily Im Sorry, and True Blue,” a very methodical selection, as it depicts the three overall musical genres on this album, along with the solo styles of each artist. 20$ is Julien through and through, with the highly rock feel, and the funny car-themed lyrics, like “How long’s the Chevy been on cinder blocks?” and the screams.
”Emily Im Sorry”, even with the title itself, is evidently a Phoebe song, that she sings solo, with the others singing background vocals, just like on “20$.” The song is acoustic, and mellow, with a melodic chorus with a slower tempo. The lyrics are sad and vulnerable, with lines like, “Im 27 and I dont know who I am.” Finally, “True Blue,” which is Lucy’s song, has an airy, light feel to it with a more pop-sounding chorus. It has beautiful poetry laced into it, and the childhood reflection that Lucy often uses - it really displays Lucy’s writing, who is arguably the best lyricist out of the three. “Summer’s in your blood, you can’t help but become the sun.”

After the three singles were played, Julien switched to a banjo, and so I knew they would play “Cool About It,” the most bluegrass-sounding track on the record, with hints at Paul Simon’s “The Boxer.” As is typical for their song construction, Julien sings the first verse, referencing her Nashville roots. The chorus is sung by all three, before Lucy sings her verse, clearly reflecting on a past conversation shes had with wishful thinking. Finally, Phoebe sings the final verse, which opens with the most heartbreaking line, “once I took your medication to know what its like, and now I have to act like I cant read your mind.” Making it clear, this ending was obviously written by Phoebe, hinting back to her song “Moon Song” with lines like “I can walk you home and practice method acting, I Ill pretend, being with you doesnt feel like drowning,” As she often refers to water and drowning in her lyrics. From there, the band played tracks off of their first debut EP, with more acoustic tracks like “Souvenir,” and the song Id been waiting years to see performed live, "Me and My Dog. When the bridge came, Phoebe belted a high B note (which is seemingly impossible to many singers,” singing the line, “I dream about it, and I wake up falling,” as the crowd went wild, like they hadnt before, cheering her on as she maintained her long belt. As Lucy sang another solo song, “Leonard Cohen,” and Phoebe and Julien played their guitars to accompany her, Phoebe made eye contact with me, and smiled, and I wondered if she recognized me. If she remembered holding my hand at her final show of her last tour. I mouthed, “I love you so much,” to her, and she grinned harder. Lucy did her final solo song on the album, “Were In Love,” easily the most beautiful song lyrically, with gorgeous metaphors that you want to sink your teeth into, and poetic imagery, singing about hummingbirds, pink carnations, winter lunar halos, and walking in the Redwoods. Julien played the piano, and Phoebe sung the background vocals. Julien did her final solo song, Anti-Curse, which melodically hints back at one of their songs, “Salt in the Wound.” Phoebe sat down at the edge of the stage, right by the fans, as the lights dimmed and she sang her slowest, saddest ballad, “Letter to an old poet,” with lines like, “You think you’re a good person because you wont punch me in the stomach.” She calls back to the melody from Me and My Dog at the bridge changing the line from, “i wanna be emaciated, i wanna hear one song without thinking of you,” to “i wanna be happy, im ready, to walk into my room without looking for you,” in a tearful, sorrowful tone.

Though that is the closing track of the album, the band kept playing, finally doing their last single, “not strong enough,” released a week prior to their record, with a music video. Despite its very contemplative and sad lyrics, it has a perfect rock sound, upbeat and lighter than most of the other tracks. Even the way each person sings the line “I don’t know why I am the way I am,” really represents them as people, in each verse leading to the chorus. Phoebe sings it first, in a hopeless, self-deprecating tone, with a definition on “I don’t…know why…I am…The way…I am”. Julien sings with a hopeful tone as if she can believe she won’t always be the way she is. “I dont…know why I am the way I am.” Finally, Lucy sings it in a different way that highlights her own acceptance of the way she is “I don’t know why…I am the way I am.” the emphasis in pauses really reflects the artists’ belief on what is acceptable to be in society, what aspects of yourself are believed as good. They then played songs from their EP like “Salt in the Wound,” and “Bite the Hand,” the title of the latter influencing their matching wrist tattoos of outlines of a tooth, that are visible on the cover of their record. “Revolution 0 “, the final Phoebe solo song, has some beautifully sad lines like, “wish I wasnt so tired, but Im tired…” that sounds very much like one of her solo songs, with its slow tempo and the “ahhs” sung by all three members at the end, which was accompanied by rainbows of collored lights as the beat carried on.

Finally, Julien sang her solo, “Stay Down,” off of the EP, before Phoebe finally spoke into the microphone, for one of the only times that night. It was interesting how little they spoke, when at some concerts, artists will make real speeches or talk to fans. But they seemed deeply into their performance of music alone. Phoebe said, “Its a very special day. We didn’t have time to talk to you guys, honestly.” Lucy added, “But we have one more song. Well, its the only song you haven’t heard.” Phoebe continued, “We’re going to do this like we did in the good old days, we’re gonna get really close to you, and, uh, this means the world. Yeah. Fuck. This is awesome. Thanks. I love you, I love my boys. We will not be using microphones, so thats why well be really quiet. If you cant hear, from there, just, imagine it, I guess.” The crowd squeezed as close as they could to the front of the stage, to get closer. Phoebe said, “Wait, dont do that. Dont squish people. Everybody good?” As they proceeded to remove their microphones, get closer to the edge of the stage, and position themselves, with Julien to the left, Lucy centered, and Phoebe with her acoustic guitar on the right. Lucy rubbed some lipstick off of Phoebe’s shoulder, and she laughed, saying, “was that you?” before she began to play. They kept a very real, and genuine character the entire night.

Hearing their voices like that, so raw and real, without any change or amplified by a microphone, made them so very real and tangible, like they could be playing in a living room to their close family. It sounded so pure and refreshing to hear an artist’s true voice, which is rare for a concert, as many will be afraid to do so. But this band, overall, are not like others. They maintain themselves as artists, musicians, primarily. They are not as worried about their presentation as they are about conveying their sound to the world, and about being true to who they really are, making the show about the music most of all. The music they each wrote themselves, directly from their own heads onto paper and into chords. It felt like a small folk show, when in reality we were in a giant, packed theatre in Los Angeles. At the last chorus, a walkie talkie produced the sound of a person saying, “shoot, we’re late.” Because it was so quiet, we could hear it loudly and clear, and the three artists laughed. Even their laughs were so clearly showing their true characteristics, as people. Julien stuck her tongue out, and she hung her head down, laughing. Lucy looked a bit alarmed, but smiled serenely, maybe even annoyed at the pause of the beautiful moment the three had waited so long for. Phoebe smiled warmly, and looked to the other two, to see what they were thinking. She called out, “One sec! We’re almost done.” She continued playing, right as the three harmonized “oohs” at the end of the song, and Julien broke down laughing again. At the last chorus, Phoebe gestured at the crowd to sing along, who were silent for the first time, that evening. Julien apparently did not notice, for she looked fully surprised and confused when all of the voices filled up the room in a harmonic way. At the end, the three hugged and kissed one another, before exiting the stage.

Afterward, I got Phoebe’s guitar pick that the same security guard handed me, and I went around to the back of the venue by the exit stage door, where I spotted Marshall Vore, Phoebe’s ex-boyfriend and drummer in her band, exit before the three walked to their car about an hour later.

Overall, the band’s success only seems to be climbing, and with this show as their opening night, they left the crowd dazed, awed, tearful, and elated.