Phoebe Bridgers @ The Anthem [DC] - 6/12/2022
Phoebe Bridgers at The Anthem in DC (Photo ©2022 Hailey Collins)
The 2020 release of Phoebe Bridgers’ second studio album, Punisher, had seemingly perfect timing to capture the zeitgeist of the culture. She quickly racked up an army of dedicated stans (Pharbz) that embraced its melancholy with an intense fury. Bridgers brought 2 sold-out nights of her “Reunion Tour” to The Anthem. She was originally supposed to make her stop in D.C. in October of 2021, but rescheduled due to COVID safety protocols, and many of her fans had been eagerly awaiting this moment, some waiting in line for up to fifteen hours wearing Bridger’s iconic “skeleton” outfit.
Phoebe and her band walked out on stage to the intro of Disturbed’s “Down With The Sickness” When she hit the opening chord of “Motion Sickness,” the crowd went into a full frenzy. Something about seeing a crowd become absolutely feral over VERY sad songs is quite exciting and hilarious. She played through the entirety of Punisher and some selects from Stranger in The Alps as animations of a pop up story book lit up the stage behind her. Highlights include cheeky stage banter with her band and the crowd, an explanation of every song before she played it, and of course the climactic catharsis of the night, the deafening “I Know The End” scream. Punisher and Phoebe’s latest single “Sidelines” is out now via Dead Oceans.
Joining Phoebe on select dates of the Phoebe Bridgers Reunion Tour is Claud, a charming bedroom pop artist from Chicago. They treated the crowd to gems from their debut album including “That’s Mister Bitch To You,” as well as a cover of Billie Eilish’s “Wish You Were Gay.” Claud’s latest single “Go Home” out now via Phoebe’s record label Saddest Factory.
Photos by Hailey Collins
SETLIST
Motion Sickness
DVD Menu
Garden Song
Kyoto
Punisher
Halloween
Smoke Signals
Funeral
Chinese Satellite
Moon Song
Scott Street
Savior Complex
ICU
Sidelines
Graceland Too
I Know the End
Encore
Georgia