Pasadena, California raised Phoebe Bridgers “Queen of sad girl rock” returned to Brooklyn on Saturday, September 26 ending a three night residency at Barclays Center.
As a casual fan who occasionally jams to Phoebe classics like “Kyoto” and “Motion Sickness” I really did not know what to expect. My younger sister, however, is a true hardcore Phoebe fan. When I mentioned I was debating taking on this assignment, she made the consequences of passing up this opportunity clear. So, I pulled the trigger and accepted.
My main hesitation was about the weather that night. A Nor’easter was in the middle of moving through New York City, and events like All Things Go and Global Citizens Fest had already been cancelled…so you can see why a cozy night at home seemed appealing. Nonetheless, I braved the 30mph wind, hopped on the oh so reliable NYC public transit system and made my way from Queens to Brooklyn.
I’m glad I did. The night was nothing short of a magical display of musical genius. And yes, there’s a boygenius pun in there somewhere.
As you may have heard, the night was a no phones show. A first for me and plenty of other concertgoers. As a photographer and writer, I hate to say that I was a bit hesitant, but as the night went on, it clicked. I was giving the performance my undivided attention, free from Instagram notification and the nagging urge to check what was happening in the outside world. For the next couple of hours, it was just me, Alex G, Phoebe and her band, and the thousands of adoring fans.
In a weird way, Barclays felt more intimate than many of the smaller venues I’ve been to. Without phone screens breaking up the crowd, Barclays felt more connected.
Alex G opened the night with melodic, sincere storytelling that quickly drew the audience in. Alex G, another familiar voice in the indie and alternative scene since the 2010s, he had the crowd so invested that at one point, I wondered, had everyone come for Phoebe or was Alex the real start of the night?
That question answered itself when Phoebe and her band took the main stage. The crowd’s reception caught me off guard (slightly scaring me…in a good way). You could here how much Phoebe meant to the people in that room before she even started to sing. I’m not quite sure I’ve experienced anything quite like it.
So I braced myself, and I’m glad I did. The night beamed with energy as fans echoed every word of songs like “Motion Sickness and “Garden Song”
Featured tracks from her third studio album, Lost Weekend which released earlier in August of 2026, already found its place in the nights set. Songs like “The Outside” received the kind of praise you’d expect from an album that had been out for years.
One of my favorite performances was the upbeat rendition of “Lost Boys.” Phoebe and her band transformed the slightly slower album version into a venue rocking song with a classic rock feel. It was a pleasant surprise and a reminder of how much a live arrangement can change the way you experience a track.
With no photo passes allocated to the press, I’ll do my best to put the stage design into words. The production was a spectacle of its own, with two stages giving the performance contrasting moods.
Setlist via setlist.fm: The Outside, Motion Sickness, Kill Me, The Governor’s Waltz, Lost Boys, DVD Menu, Garden Song, Moon Song, Liberty Tree, Panorama (instrumental), Lost Weekend, Funeral, Graceland Too, Haunted, Still Standing, As Above, Bobby, Georgia, I Can’t Wait, On Video, Not Strong Enough (boygenius song, with boygenius), Powers (boygenius song, with boygenius), Kyoto, I Know the End
Encore: Lost Weekend (Reprise), Scott Street, Never Going Back! (band only)
The opening half took place on the main stage beneath a rounded sphere like structure with projections keeping Phoebe front and center. The backdrop carried the sphere’s colors across the stage while close ups let fans throughout the arena see the emotion behind each lyric. It was by far one of the more beautifully designed sets I’ve seen to date.
As we neared the middle of the show, Phoebe moved to the smaller B stage. It brought a more intimate presence to the arena, paired with a light show unlike anything I’ve seen outside a rave or EDM concert.
The rest of the night tapped beyond her solo albums, feature work with boygenius and a performance of her new song for Primetime, directed by Lance Oppenheim.
I went into Barclays as a casual fan who nearly stayed home. I left understanding why my sister wouldn’t let me pass on this one.
Brooklyn was just one stop on the “The Lost Tour” which is sold out throughout it’s US/UK run. Phoebe and Alex G continue through Toronto, Detroit, Boston, Charlotte, Nashville, Atlanta, Austin, Fort Worth, Denver, Salt Lake City, Vancouver, and San Francisco before wrapping up the North American leg with three nights at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood California.
