The boys are back in town!
Following their Suffolk Downs performances at the inaugural RE:SET festival, boygenius returned to Boston for two sold-out shows at MGM Music Hall at Fenway.
Just like boygenius, opener Palehound has a history with Boston. El Kempner and their band originally met at a DIY venue in Allston, a Boston neighborhood.
Nearly a decade later, the indie rockers were back to make some more history at their second biggest show to date.
Against a hand-drawn animated backdrop, the band opened night two with selections from their four albums, including their latest LP, Eye on the Bat.
The crowd sang and swayed along to El’s whispery alto and blunt lyrics in “Cinnamon” and “Good Sex,” and cheered for their electric guitar solos.
The support wasn’t just felt from El’s mom’s encouraging whistles, but also from the crowd who waved pride flags throughout the set.
“We’re a band of all queer and trans people, and to feel truly welcomed and loved by a crowd of strangers is rare for us sometimes. That’s huge, and that says a lot about boygenius, ”El told the crowd, who they dubbed “the best crowd ever.”
Part of what is so attractive about boygenius is their consideration for others and their impact. During a brief intermission, Jean-Luc Pierite, the president of the North American Indian Center of Boston was invited to give a land acknowledgment of the Massachusett and Pawtucket land the the new venue was built on. He also spoke about how to stand in solidarity with indigenous people. This acknowledgment has become a tradition at every boygenius show.
It wasn’t long before Thin Lizzy’s “The Boys Are Back In Town” erupted through the speakers summoning boygenius’ band to the stage.
The lights dimmed as Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker appeared on a screen upstage. Huddled around a single mic, the trio harmonized acapella to “Without You Without Them” off their LP the record. Their genuine smiles and giggles throughout provided a glimpse into their covetous friendship.
That genuine interaction and unscripted banter both with each other and the crowd continued throughout the rest of the 21-song set, which included “True Blue” and “Cool About It.”
Before their performance of “Letter to an Old Poet,” Phoebe apologized for the intense ballad, “If you resonate with the song, I’m so sorry.” At Phoebe’s request, all phones were put away. A rare sight at a concert, everyone living in the same moment.
Another rare site, and noise, was the sound of silence. There was a welcome absence of side conversations during many of the mellow songs as the crowd continued to be enthralled by the iconic trio.
However, that didn’t mean that the audience didn’t know when to sing along at full volume to songs like “Black Hole” or go wild for a live debut of “Afraid of Heights” off boygenius’ upcoming album dropping October 13.
boygenius proved that they not only know how to give a great performance, but they know how to end one too. Phoebe and Lucy stage dove and crowd surfed during the encore.
As their final bows were received with thunderous applause, it was clear that the boys would be welcome back in town any time!
To stay up to date with everything boygenius, visit: https://www.xboygeniusx.com/.
