Despite the very on-brand Texas weather, Friday night turned out to be one of the most wholesome, inclusive concert experiences we’ve witnessed in a while — and in a state running low on safe spaces, boygenius + friends delivered something
Shortly after 5:00 p.m., indie experimental artist Bartees Strange kicked off the show with his compelling brand of unconventional jams. The Washington, D.C., musician is known for his edgy, infectious energy that was effective in pulling audience members out of the shade and toward the stage. Bartees' eccentricity was palpable as he effortlessly adjusted his pedals while bounding across the stage and screaming whatever was left of his soul into the microphone. Strange was simply iconic, maybe even the perfect choice to hype up the folks who thought an outdoor concert in the Texas summer would be a chill time.Between sets, several concertgoers were rushed out of the crowd by medical support staff for issues related to dehydration. This happened repeatedly over the course of the evening, but what set this event apart was how quickly both the artists and audience members reacted and called attention to those in distress and how quickly the medical support staff responded to those concerns. Perhaps it seems like an obvious exchange, but in a world seemingly plagued by the “every person for themselves” mentality, witnessing multiple instances of humans looking out for other humans was nothing short of restorative.Next up was musician/producer Dijon, an artist known for his playful, electronic bedroom soul. Dijon’s set was yet another welcome distraction from the heat, offering a more relaxed, intimate backdrop as the concert space began to quickly fill. Dijon’s voice falls somewhere between crooner and that really hot barista from your favorite, locally sourced cold brew joint — it’s smooth, caramel-laced and addictive. And even though his set was plagued with technical issues, fans were left undeterred. By the end of his set, people were dancing together like a scene from a 90’s R&B club.
By the time Clairo took the stage, the central viewing area was packed with fans screaming for the indie pop favorite. Known mostly for her cool, downbeat tracks, Clairo opened with “Bambi,” a track from her 2021 album, Sling. Her set was a solid combination of fan favorites from that album and from her 2019 debut, Immunity — featuring not one, but two saxophone players and a flutist. Halfway through her set, Clairo told the crowd, “We wanted to do something special for this tour.” The crowd erupted in cheers as she added, “So, I don’t know if y’all know Carole King.” Beaming from ear to ear, Clairo and her band rolled right into a beautiful cover of “Bitter With The Sweet.”Before reverting to her own catalog, Clairo told the audience, “Gonna sing some sad ones now, so you can conserve your energy.” The “sad ones,” as she put it, concluded with her hit single, “Bags,” which had to be paused and restarted when Clairo noticed a concertgoer in distress and called for medical staff to assist. Once resolved, Clairo told the crowd, “All right Dallas. This is our last song. I feel like this is the one you know. So, let’s fucking scream!”Just before boygenius’ set began, Veronica Arredondo of the Choctaw Nation and the Intertribal Community Council of Texas took the stage to educate and acknowledge our presence on the native territories of the Wichita, Caddo, Kickapoo, Tawakoni, Comanche and Cherokee people. Arredondo called on the crowd to acknowledge the pain, suffering and lasting impression of indigenous people through colonization, broken treaties, stolen lands and cultural suppression.
“We carry this burden with resilience,” Arredondo said. “And we seek a path of healing and reconciliation.” As the crowd erupted in cheers, Arredondo added, “With this land acknowledgement, we ask that you honor their legacy by actively supporting indigenous communities. Commit yourselves to listen, learn and amplify our voices.”
Moments later, boygenius’ signature walkout music, “The Boys Are Back In Town” by Thin Lizzy, radiated through the theater grounds and the fans went wild. The boys (aka Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus) kicked off their set with the a cappella track “Without You Without Them,” which was the proverbial calm before the oh-so-satisfying storm.The indie supergroup’s primary setlist comprises 18 songs, including all tracks from both their 2023 album, the record, and their 2018 EP, boygenius — not to mention a plethora of onstage antics hijinks, and overall goofiness, for which the boys have become known.
As the band began the Bridgers-led “Emily I’m Sorry,” fans joined in for the line “she called me a fucking liar,” which echoed through the venue in what felt like a collectively cathartic experience. Not long after this, Bridgers asked the crowd, “Do we have any gay cowboys here?” When the response was wildly affirmative, Bridgers chuckled and said, “Thought so.” Which was the lead-in to the Baker-centric “Cool About It.”In between songs, Bridgers paused to wish the audience a happy Gay Pride, adding that the band loves their queer and trans friends. Dacus then joined in with, “Yeah, we all collectively hate Greg Abbott.” As the crowd cheered, Bridgers asked the crowd, “Can we do a primal scream? 'Fuck Greg Abbott' on three?” When the boys counted to three, the venue boomed with a resounding “Fuck Greg Abbott.”
The band members, well-known for their outspoken support of the LGBTQ+ community, have built a fan base of likeminded individuals and rarely skip an opportunity to stand in solidarity — and this time, deep in the heart of Texas, was no exception.
Following “We’re in Love,” fans threw flowers on the stage, which the band acknowledged and thanked them for. Bridgers then noticed a fan holding a sign that said “I heart girls,” to which Baker replied, “Boy do I ever.” The amount of queer joy found emanating from this band, as well as within the crowd, cannot be overstated.
The next-to-last song was “Salt In The Wound,” a track famous for ending on Baker’s sick guitar riffs, while Bridgers and Dacus chase each other around the stage — and on Friday night they delivered, with Bridgers and Dacus tackling Baker and falling into an adorable cuddle puddle on the floor of the stage. As the boys composed themselves, they eased into their closing song, “Ketchum, ID,” which ended with fans taking over the vocals for the band.@abzilla97 UNREAL. I LOVE THEM #boygenius #phoebebridgers #lucydacus #julienbaker #dallas ♬ original sound - abz
Moments after the band’s exit, Bridgers' voice boomed through the speakers: “If you have some more time, we have some more.” They returned for a three-part encore, featuring one song from each artist’s solo catalog: “Please Stay” by Lucy Dacus, “Favor” by Julien Baker and “Graceland Too” by Phoebe Bridgers.
We say everything’s bigger in Texas — and on Friday night, boygenius + friends delivered a huge helping of hope to an audience in a state with rapidly disappearing safe spaces; it was an experiment in queer joy—one that won’t soon be forgotten.
