The most important thing to know about Julien Baker is that she is a remarkably, singularly talented musician. The second most important thing is that she really loves to shred. And shred she did on October 25th, the first show of her four-night run at Los Angeles’ The Bellwether.
Opening the night was singer-songwriter Katie Malco, who captivated the crowd with her lyric-driven music. With her strong, clear voice and her presence alone onstage, Malco conjured images of Baker herself earlier in her career. Malco’s energy was commanding and kind; at a shout for help from the audience, she not only stopped her set but personally retrieved a bottle of water and handed it to the individual before finishing the song.
Next on the lineup was Fightmaster, the musical project of E.R. Fightmaster, also known for their acting role on Grey’s Anatomy. Fronted by E.R., the band performed songs from their recent debut EP Violence. While the original songs were powerful, the highlight of the set came in the form of an electrifying cover of Heart’s “Barracuda,” where E.R. ‘s vocals shone.
Baker emerged onstage and launched into a beautifully arranged version of “Appointments,” joined by her touring band: Larz Brogan on bass, Noah Forbes on keys, Hannah Read on strings, and longtime collaborators Matthew Gilliam on drums and Calvin Lauber on guitar. Baker’s music is known for its unflinchingly honest lyrics, and “Appointments” is one of her heaviest hitters. The room was enthralled as Baker sang, “I think if I fail again, that I know you’re still listening / maybe it’s all gonna turn out alright, and I know that it’s not, but I have to believe that it is.”
Baker’s early music, especially her debut album Sprained Ankle, is characterized by a solitary sound, her raw vocals backed by bare guitar or keys. Her sophomore record Turn Out the Lights features several other musicians and a more developed sound, but maintains the individual nature of her previous releases – she toured both Sprained Ankle and Turn Out the Lights alone, unaccompanied by a band. With her most recent album, Little Oblivions, Baker has elevated her music and performance to a new level. In Los Angeles, as her band left the stage, Baker told the crowd, “I put out two records that are just me, doing all the instrumentation.” At applause from the audience, she followed up with, “Don’t cheer, I didn’t like it! We rearranged a whole bunch of the songs for a full band, and I hope you like and enjoy what we’re bringing you…but I do this song alone.”
The solo, unaccompanied performance of “Something” that followed was the perfect addition to a set largely composed of the aforementioned full band arrangements, a brief and lovely return to the beginning. The night’s setlist included fan favorites like “Relative Fiction,” “Favor,” and “Sprained Ankle” alongside slightly deeper cuts like “Ringside” and “Even.” She closed with an all-out performance of “Hardline,” one of her most instrumentally intense songs, then reappeared onstage for a rousing rendition of “Everybody Does.” The energy of Baker’s performance is perfectly encapsulated by the final image of the night: a crowd smiling and dancing while singing along to the lyrics, “You’re gonna run when you find out who I am, you’re gonna run, it’s alright, everybody does.”
Baker handles music with a delicate and capable touch. Her respect for the craft is evident in everything she does onstage – the moments where her voice is fragile and soft, the passion in her face, the power and strength in her performance. There is a quality to Baker’s voice live that is completely unique and difficult to describe. It’s present on her records, too, but live it’s transcendent, deeply affecting and arresting.
For the past two years Baker has largely performed alongside Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus as the band boygenius, which has skyrocketed Baker’s fame and earned her her first three Grammys. Boygenius is an absolute musical force, but Baker has had a nearly decade-long, extremely successful solo career in her own right. It’s somewhat uncommon for musicians to tour without releasing a new album, but this tour felt natural given the two-year boygenius gap from Baker’s solo work. And to be honest, I would listen to Julien Baker sing just about anything, and it would be the best show of my life.
