Bleachers
On October 8th, Bleachers took to the stage for the last of their headline shows for the “BLEACHERS FOREVER” tour here in Nashville, TN, at the newly opened The Truth venue. Bleachers, an American alternative rock band fronted by the renowned Jack Antonoff, are a force to be reckoned with, and their live shows are sure to move you, both physically and emotionally.
I was fresh from dropping my friends off at the airport, who were visiting me for the last few days as I showed them around and, we took on the city together, before I immediately headed to the venue feeling extra sentimental. Greeted by people surrounded by their friends, couples, as well as families with young children, the atmosphere of the show was one of togetherness that I felt myself inspired by. The crowd grooved to This is Lorelei, the opener that started out the night with some country-inspired alternative rock, getting everyone in the mood to have a good time.
Bleachers’ set began with a recording of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” as lights flickered and set, and the sound of the crowd grew until everyone was belting the last chorus. When the band came onto the stage, the crowd went wild and stayed wild throughout the entire show as they matched the band’s energetic nature. People danced and sang with the people they were with, by themselves, even to the band up on stage, and it felt like the fans were a community. Several times throughout, Antonoff would stop and look around the venue, and it felt like he was trying to make eye contact with every person who came out to the show, and he would consistently address people from the barricade all the way back to the venue. No section was left ignored in the 4000+ person capacity space.
Occasionally, I would look out into the crowd and couldn’t help but notice a lack of phones in a time when it seems so consistently normal to see them in a sea of people. There would be a few here and there, of course, including from me while taking some videos, but overall, people were truly in the moment. Seeing this connection between the band and all the people in the venue, while also missing my own friends and hearing songs that I’ve loved since high school like “Don’t Take the Money,” I couldn’t help but tear up.
The band would move from heartfelt, slower songs like an acoustic version of “I Wanna Get Better” to an explosive “Rollercoaster,” where Antonoff encouraged half the venue to get on each other’s shoulders, and they did. It wasn’t just a regular show either, as they celebrated band member Evan’s birthday with a song and even had Antonoff’s father play guitar for “How Dare You Want More.” The setlist had a large mix of older songs as well as songs from their album released this year, everyone for ten minutes. The show was a beautiful ending show to the tour, and an amazing celebration of the band’s work and connection with their community of fans. With the way the concert moved me, I will be sure to listen to more of Bleachers, forever.
