\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/div> \n\tAnd as the show began, the objective almost seemed to be less about preventing premature publicity for the many unreleased songs that Bridgers performed than evoking a long-gone era that most of the audience never experienced: a time when an artist could road-test new material without it being available to millions within seconds, and audience members could see a concert without having their view obscured or completely blocked by multiple people taking video they probably never will watch.<\/p>\n \n\tMore importantly, that intimacy extended to the show itself. Bridgers performed on a small circular stage set up to look like a 1970s rec room. She and guitarist Christian Lee Hutson sat on a couch covered by a cheesy patterned knit blanket, with lamps on either side, as well as a boxy old TV, black-light posters, a lava lamp and candles. Live video of the performance (and occasionally the TV) was broadcast onto the scoreboard screen hanging from the middle of the arena ceiling, but the picture was intentionally grainy, like an old television broadcast. Keyboardist Nick White was the only other musician; the only percussion was an occasional bass drum that Hutson operated with his foot. The set\u2019s vibe was very \u201cStranger Things,\u201d an impression amplified when, during the show\u2019s more intense moments, the lamps flickered like Vecna was approaching.<\/p>\n \n\tIn an unplanned throwback to that earlier era, at one point during a particularly emotional song, a hundred or so audience members across the arena held up cigarette lighters instead of phones.<\/p>\n \n\tBridgers, accompanying herself on a succession of acoustic guitars and a Mellotron keyboard placed in front of the couch, opened with fan favorites \u201cMotion Sickness,\u201d \u201cWaiting Room,\u201d Kyoto\u201d and \u201cMoon Song.\u201d But most audience members knew a heaping batch of long-awaited new songs was coming \u2014 Bridgers\u2019 first new material since the Boygenius album<\/a> in 2023.<\/p>\n \n\tShe reeled off seven new tracks in a row, which journalists were politely asked not to reveal much about. Several are of a piece with her previous work, with her trademark melodies, whip-smart wordplay and emotional vulnerability; at least one seemed to be about a painful breakup. Yet a few explore new territory: She introduced one as \u201ca country song\u201d that found her adopting the style and cadences of the genre with impressive ease; another featured a menacing and intense finale with her voice soaring to the top of its range.<\/p>\n \n\tShe talked to the audience often, asking if they had \u201cdefective parents\u201d and spoke about how her late father (with whom she had a troubled relationship) managed to transcend his conservative upbringing. She thanked Tidal for sponsoring the show and \u201cpaying artists more than any other platform.\u201d She announced that she\u2019ll be touring this fall \u2014\u00a0with dates coming on Friday morning. And although she twice referenced the fact that she was performing in the home of the city\u2019s beloved New York Knicks, an audience member didn\u2019t shout \u201cLet\u2019s go Knicks!\u201d until the end of the show.<\/p>\n
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