boygenius At MSG: A Triumphant Celebration Of The Power Of Friendship
Samantha Colleran, October 2023
If there is one thing to say about boygenius, it’s the fact that they are meant to be playing sold out arenas like Madison Square Garden. On October 2, the boys headlined their first ever show at the iconic venue, with support from the talented MUNA. You could feel the excitement radiating off of everyone in the venue, it was clear from the moment I stepped foot into the midtown area that this night would be one for the history books.
If you’re unfamiliar with boygenius, the supergroup consists of the beyond talented Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker, and Phoebe Bridgers. Each member has a wide catalog of solo music that has connected with fans, but when they come together they’re a force to be reckoned with. To the general public, it may seem as if boygenius came up out of nowhere and became an overnight success. For longtime fans, we know that the journey to playing a historical show like Madison Square Garden has been something in the works for quite some time, and seeing it come to fruition was monumental. Even Lucy acknowledged the feat, saying that every show they’ve played has felt like a rehearsal for this one.
boygenius’ collective favorite band MUNA kicked the night off with a high energy set that had fans jumping around and singing their hearts out. It’s very easy to be swept up in their world full of anthems about love, heartbreak, and celebrating exactly who you are. Katie, Jo, and Naomi are experts at commanding the stage; from the beginning of their 45 minute set to the very end, everyone was on their feet singing, dancing, and celebrating just how far they’ve come. MUNA released their first album About U in 2017, which is when I became a fan of the band, and it was surreal to hear an arena full of thousands sing along to “I Know A Place”.
My favorite thing about boygenius is their complete admiration for one another. There were multiple moments during the set where each member took the time to say just how much they appreciate each other. “These guys have given me my voice back many, many times,” Julien said when talking about going into rehearsals for making the record and sharing with the audience how nervous she was to sing, that is until she was with a band who made her feel confident enough to do so. During an intimate moment where Phoebe asked the crowd to put their phones away during “Letter To An Old Poet” (the song is intense and Phoebe wanted to share the moment face to face instead of singing to a bunch of cameras), she explained how Lucy and Julien made her feel emboldened to write such a devastatingly powerful song. In a world that’s often fueled by hate and negativity, it’s refreshing to see a group of women unashamedly talk about their love for each other.
Going to a boygenius show means emotional whiplash; one minute you’re headbanging and screaming along as the boys tear up the stage with guitar driven songs like “$20” and “Satanist”, the next you’ll find yourself wiping streams of tears off your cheeks when being hit by gentler songs such as “Revolution 0” and “We’re In Love”, the latter of which fans showered Lucy with pink carnations as she poured her soul into every word. Phoebe even shouted out a security guard who passed out tissues to the people on the barricade during “Souvenir”, another emotion-packed track from the trio.
As a surprise for fans, the band had a separate B Stage set up towards the back of the general admission pit where they played their entire EP, the rest, set to release on October 13. Crowd reactions were sparse during these four tracks in order to allow the songs to be heard as clearly as possible. I will be totally honest, I was a little overwhelmed with emotion and wasn’t able to pick out exact lyrics that stood out to me or even process which song I enjoyed the most, but being able to hear these tracks in that setting is a feeling I won’t ever be able to describe, I know this EP will come to mean so much to me.
To end the show, the band did their usual encore. “Ketchum, ID” is a quieter moment where each member gets a verse and fans sing along in a collective hushed tone, followed by the gut wrenching chorus that is sung just a tad louder. For the final chorus, Lucy held out her mic and allowed the audience to finish the song out. “Salt In The Wound” closed out the night, a tradition I hope sticks for a while. MUNA came back out, this time on the B Stage, and as the final belt of “But they don’t say what’s on the other side” filled the arena, Phoebe and Lucy tore their shirts open and ran around on the stage as Julien continued to shred effortlessly while the outro played.
If October 2 was anything, it was proof that boygenius aren’t going anywhere for a while; they’re the voices of a generation and they’re proud to take on that title. “I think that’s what music is for. It’s to hear your voice against another person’s as reference. So, if you need confirmation, let us be your confirmation bias,” Julien said in her heartfelt speech of the night while being embraced by the people who helped her rediscover her voice. If you’ve lost your voice or you’re looking for a purpose, turn to boygenius, you may just find exactly what you’re looking for.