Though intermittent sprinkles of rain graced this past weekend’s Mempho Music Festival here and there, the event marched onward like the musical juggernaut it is. And only a few drops marred what may have been the most impressive Mempho moment of all, a homecoming show by Julien Baker, her first here with a five-piece band.
And that band was in fine form, alternately pounding out jams or spinning the arrangements like silk. That was partly due to the many dates they’d played already, in a tour that began in Birmingham on September 3, then took them to Atlanta, Asheville, Washington D.C., New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, Toronto, Chicago, Minneapolis, Madison, Detroit, Columbus, and Pittsburgh.
By Saturday, October 2, they were a well-seasoned unit, and the stop-and-start dynamics of the material were delivered with an easy grace. Moreover, they played with an energy that belied their sheer enthusiasm at playing this city in particular.
“It feels so good to be in Memphis. A lot of us grew up here. Thank you for coming out in the rain. And the heat. It’s both, right?” quipped Baker early in the set, speaking as one who has internalized the Bluff City’s mercurial weather into their very being. “Most of these songs are from the new album, and I’m so glad to be playing them for the first time here with all my friends.”
That album, of course, would be Little Oblivians, covered in depth in our profile of the singer/songwriter earlier this year. Crafted piecemeal by Baker, Calvin Lauber, and Matt Gilliam at Young Avenue Sound, it created the blueprint for a full-band approach that marks a new direction for Baker. And with Baker’s own guitar and keyboard playing augmented by a keyboardist, guitarist, bassist, and drummer, that blueprint was fully realized Saturday.
The sound was huge, arena-sized event, often turning from a whisper to a scream in a heartbeat. The song “Highlight Reel” had its quiet moments, with one passage ending with her words, “tell me how you feel.” At that, the drums revved up several notches, as the crowd seemed to levitate, and from there the band only got more intense, culminating in Baker’s guitar solo over a soaring finale.
Such moments came more frequently as the set went on, featuring Baker’s fine guitar playing at key moments. But towards the end, the band stepped off to the side and she announced “two older songs.” Still, as she launched into the first, alone on the stage, there was a minor hiccup. Playing distractedly, she noted, “I’m super nervous.” With that, she stopped playing altogether.
Was she skipping the song entirely? No, as it turned out. She merely began again. Someone in the audience yelled “We got you!” and, not missing a beat, she replied, “Thank you, that’s really sweet,” adding, “I feel really uncomfortable.”
Actually, see seemed the picture of nonchalance throughout, her admissions of nervousness only adding to her unassuming charm. “I love you!” yelled one audience member, as she paused between numbers.
“Oh wow. But we’ve only just met,” she deadpanned with perfect timing. Clearly, the solid month of touring paid off in more ways than tightening up the band: Her stage banter skills were on point. “I like it when people sing at my shows,” she noted encouragingly. “But if you don’t remember the lyrics, that’s fine. I actually don’t remember them either.”
Perhaps flubbed lyrics were behind the occasional broad grins she would flash to the crowd or the band, but the result was to reveal her utter joy in playing. “I’m feeling great!” she announced. “It’s the last show of this leg of the tour.” Scanning the crowd in apparent disbelief, she added, “Aren’t you so glad concerts are happening again?”
Cheering, the crowd clearly was delighted, and so it was with complete sincerity and warmth that her final words rang out over our heads. “Thank you so much, Memphis! I love you!”