This past October, Leon Bridges released his fourth full length LP simply titled Leon. The album not only built upon his trademark “pre-Motown revival” sound but polished his folk and soul influences until they shined with a modern pop veneer. Leon was both intimate and grandiose, subtle yet to the point, and most of all, a true musical embodiment of Leon Bridges as an artist. This sentiment only continued with the announcement of The Leon Tour, as Bridges forewent venues more fitting of his popularity in favor of smaller rooms made for intentional, connected listening. These spaces would allow him and his band to bring the bittersweet magic of Leon to live audiences, and as he returned to The Met’s historic stage for his second and final night, that magic was surely in the air.
Before Bridges stepped out to give fans a taste of Texas however, openers Hermanos Gutiérrez ushered in the night with a set of ethereal Latin guitar duets. At first, when the brothers Alejandro and Estevan Gutiérrez came on stage and began to play, the audience barely noticed that the show had begun. As the soft, interlocking guitar melodies made their way through the crowd though, the room quickly fell silent. The two traded off leads and rhythms, occasionally swapping their guitars for a pair of bongos or a lap steel; not saying a word between songs but instead letting the instrumentals speak for them. The duo only broke this silence before their final performance, taking the time to explain their inspirations. Hermanos Gutiérrez as a band invokes “the voice of the desert,” they explained. For them, the intricately woven musical pieces are the outline of a big painting; one which the audience chooses the colors for. The brothers broke into a final mesmerizing duet then disappeared, leaving the stage a ghost town.
Bridges and his band took the stage not long after. Fans erupted out of their seats to get a better view of the “Coming Home” singer as he came center stage, setting a somber, introspective tone for the evening with opening track “When A Man Cries.” He followed up with “Panther City,” another standout track from Leon that takes on a deeply personal spirit, paying homage to his hometown of Fort Worth, Texas. Other highlights from the set included “Texas Sun” and “Mariella” from his 2020 collaboration with Khruangbin, an emotional performance of “God Loves Everyone” consisting of Bridges’ timeless vocals and a haunting piano, and a rendition of fan favorite track “Coming Home” that had the audience swaying from the pit to the theater boxes.
The shining moment arrived towards the end of the set, however, when Bridges began to sing the opening lines of “River.” The room fell quiet once more, hanging on every word while a gentle acoustic guitar strummed behind him. It was a grand retelling of the song, complete with drum breakdowns, a gospel choir, and a crowd’s worth of backup vocals. The heartfelt track left even Bridges emotionally stunned, standing frozen at the microphone long after the final notes had died out.
Bridges held true to his intention of making the performance more like a listening session than an interactive dialogue between himself and the audience, letting each song flow into another with little to no speaking. The silence brought out such raw emotion from both the crowd and Bridges himself. He put himself on display for all to see, no stage props or long-winded explanations, just the uninterrupted beauty of his music.
The audience was gifted one final chance to rock and sing along during the encore as Bridges returned to his early LP’s, concluding the night with “Lisa Sawyer” and “Beyond.” He thanked Philly for another wonderful evening and left The Met to continue along The Leon Tour.
The Leon Tour continues tonight in Washington D.C with other stops in Nashville, Atlanta, and finally concluding in Fort Worth. More information at his website; see more photos from The Met below.
