I sneaked in with my friend who worked at the venue. got front row of the balcony. it was magical. Her stripped back and subtly choreographed performance was so inspiring. A close second was seeing her with the full band in May. seeing them both was perfection as I could compare the differences in scale and really feel how much staging and arrangement can affect the atmosphere of a show. They’re performances that will stay with me forever.
I watched this for the first time at the most perfect age to absorb it forever. One of the most formative experiences of my life. There’s no pretense - never is with Mitski - but here her spirit is on full display. The most compelling performance is Class of 2013, wherein she screams into her guitar during the third verse, “Mom will you wash my back this once, and then we can forget.” I’ve replayed that part probably 30 times.
