Brandi Carlile/Lucius, June 24, 2022, at the Greek Theater

Anyone may know how much I hate shopping for presents. I love giving away gifts, but the obligation of a holiday, also when there are too many other things going on that thinking about what to give becomes another hassle, is often overwhelming. Anything that can help in figuring out what to get Carla is always a huge benefit. This year, tickets for Brandi Carlile went on sale in October, and getting them then keeping it a secret that we’d go to the show in the next year, was a gift I could give, as well as a gift to myself to have the task done. Of course I would have gotten the tickets anyway and didn’t have to make it a gift, as well as being something for both of us (since we could both enjoy a show), but however you might define a gift it could apply. (Also possibly at a time when money was tighter than usual, so dedicating the budget (whatever that is) could apply to an event, especially since material objects are so less valuable, and we want experiences over more stuff.) We also hadn’t seen Carlile, even though we had been fans (at least since “The Joke”), so we could get over there to show our fealty. It was a Friday night that we could easily schedule, and even driving into L.A. isn’t always the hardest trek if you plan it well enough and get out early. Which we did, even getting there early enough to see openers Lucius, which were an unspectacular alt-pop group leaning on vocal harmonies, which is fine, but not for a headliner-status, especially when compared to Carlile, who they knew well enough through collaboration (then came out on stage during Carlile’s set). This was also the day that Roe v. Wade had been overturned, the show less than 24 hours after the ruling was officially undone, so the wound was fresh enough to leave everyone stunned, and even too soon to have an immediate plan about how to react collectively. With much of Carlile’s demographic being women and the new ruling being an issue that went beyond just abortion but into women’s rights, this show was a time to come together and see the others in the fight, and relax to inhale before the coming fight. As it was so soon after it happened, there was only a minor mention of it, and Carlile’s show went on, likely as usual. She may have been more concerned about the performance rather than the feeling, but if absolutely nothing else, she has the voice to electrify anything, paired with songs that can strike at the heart, to a solid backing band (including the twin-brother guitarists, who offer the visual of a mirror image behind her, like a two-pronged attack, but also the power of loyalty when they stuck with her through when she got big, not just as a band but as the back-up for a single performer, though one as spectacular as Carlile, whose stardom was clearly apparent from her beginning). It was likely the same show she had been churning out throughout the entire tour (for In These Silent Days), though honed by this point to be silky smooth, so there wasn’t much spontaneity that would have gone a long way, but so safe as to showcase the songs instead of coming up with surprises that would disrupt a warm, lovely evening amidst the coming turmoil outside the lush environs of the Greek Theater, among thousands of like-minded fans equally concerned with what was going on in the world, but for now living in a beautiful moment that Carlisle and her band could bring.

Brandi Carlile’s set-list:
“Broken Horses“
“The Things I Regret“
“You and Me on the Rock“ (with Lucius)
“The Story“
“The Eye“
“The Mother“
“Mama Werewolf“
“Space Oddity“ (David Bowie cover)
“Creep“ (Radiohead cover)
“This Time Tomorrow“
“Right on Time“
“Sinners, Saints and Fools“
“The Joke“
“Turpentine“
“Party of One“
“How“ (Marcus Mumford cover; with Marcus Mumford; live debut of unreleased song "I'll forgive you now as if saying the words will help me know how...")

“Hold Out Your Hand“

“Stay Gentle“

“Over the Rainbow“ (Harold Arlen cover)

Anyone may know how much I hate shopping for presents. I love giving away gifts, but the obligation of a holiday, also when there are too many other things going on that thinking about what to give becomes another hassle, is often overwhelming. Anything that can help in figuring out what to get Carla is always a huge benefit. This year, tickets for Brandi Carlile went on sale in October, and getting them then keeping it a secret that we’d go to the show in the next year, was a gift I could give, as well as a gift to myself to have the task done. Of course I would have gotten the tickets anyway and didn’t have to make it a gift, as well as being something for both of us (since we could both enjoy a show), but however you might define a gift it could apply. (Also possibly at a time when money was tighter than usual, so dedicating the budget (whatever that is) could apply to an event, especially since material objects are so less valuable, and we want experiences over more stuff.) We also hadn’t seen Carlile, even though we had been fans (at least since “The Joke”), so we could get over there to show our fealty. It was a Friday night that we could easily schedule, and even driving into L.A. isn’t always the hardest trek if you plan it well enough and get out early. Which we did, even getting there early enough to see openers Lucius, which were an unspectacular alt-pop group leaning on vocal harmonies, which is fine, but not for a headliner-status, especially when compared to Carlile, who they knew well enough through collaboration (then came out on stage during Carlile’s set). This was also the day that Roe v. Wade had been overturned, the show less than 24 hours after the ruling was officially undone, so the wound was fresh enough to leave everyone stunned, and even too soon to have an immediate plan about how to react collectively. With much of Carlile’s demographic being women and the new ruling being an issue that went beyond just abortion but into women’s rights, this show was a time to come together and see the others in the fight, and relax to inhale before the coming fight. As it was so soon after it happened, there was only a minor mention of it, and Carlile’s show went on, likely as usual. She may have been more concerned about the performance rather than the feeling, but if absolutely nothing else, she has the voice to electrify anything, paired with songs that can strike at the heart, to a solid backing band (including the twin-brother guitarists, who offer the visual of a mirror image behind her, like a two-pronged attack, but also the power of loyalty when they stuck with her through when she got big, not just as a band but as the back-up for a single performer, though one as spectacular as Carlile, whose stardom was clearly apparent from her beginning). It was likely the same show she had been churning out throughout the entire tour (for In These Silent Days), though honed by this point to be silky smooth, so there wasn’t much spontaneity that would have gone a long way, but so safe as to showcase the songs instead of coming up with surprises that would disrupt a warm, lovely evening amidst the coming turmoil outside the lush environs of the Greek Theater, among thousands of like-minded fans equally concerned with what was going on in the world, but for now living in a beautiful moment that Carlisle and her band could bring.

Brandi Carlile’s set-list:
“Broken Horses“
“The Things I Regret“
“You and Me on the Rock“ (with Lucius)
“The Story“
“The Eye“
“The Mother“
“Mama Werewolf“
“Space Oddity“ (David Bowie cover)
“Creep“ (Radiohead cover)
“This Time Tomorrow“
“Right on Time“
“Sinners, Saints and Fools“
“The Joke“
“Turpentine“
“Party of One“

“How“ (Marcus Mumford cover; with Marcus Mumford; live debut of unreleased song "I'll forgive you now as if saying the words will help me know how...")
“Hold Out Your Hand“
“Stay Gentle“
“Over the Rainbow“ (Harold Arlen cover)

Brandi Carlisle/Lucius, June 24, 2022, at Greek Theater

Anyone may know how much I hate shopping for presents. I love giving away gifts, but the obligation of a holiday, also when there are too many other things going on that thinking about what to give becomes another hassle, is often overwhelming. Anything that can help in figuring out what to get Carla is always a huge benefit. This year, tickets for Brandi Carlile went on sale in October, and getting them then keeping it a secret that we’d go to the show in the next year, was a gift I could give, as well as a gift to myself to have the task done. Of course I would have gotten the tickets anyway and didn’t have to make it a gift, as well as being something for both of us (since we could both enjoy a show), but however you might define a gift it could apply. (Also possibly at a time when money was tighter than usual, so dedicating the budget (whatever that is) could apply to an event, especially since material objects are so less valuable, and we want experiences over more stuff.) We also hadn’t seen Carlile, even though we had been fans (at least since “The Joke”), so we could get over there to show our fealty. It was a Friday night that we could easily schedule, and even driving into L.A. isn’t always the hardest trek if you plan it well enough and get out early. Which we did, even getting there early enough to see openers Lucius, which were an unspectacular alt-pop group leaning on vocal harmonies, which is fine, but not for a headliner-status, especially when compared to Carlile, who they knew well enough through collaboration (then came out on stage during Carlile’s set). This was also the day that Roe v. Wade had been overturned, the show less than 24 hours after the ruling was officially undone, so the wound was fresh enough to leave everyone stunned, and even too soon to have an immediate plan about how to react collectively. With much of Carlile’s demographic being women and the new ruling being an issue that went beyond just abortion but into women’s rights, this show was a time to come together and see the others in the fight, and relax to inhale before the coming fight. As it was so soon after it happened, there was only a minor mention of it, and Carlile’s show went on, likely as usual. She may have been more concerned about the performance rather than the feeling, but if absolutely nothing else, she has the voice to electrify anything, paired with songs that can strike at the heart, to a solid backing band (including the twin-brother guitarists, who offer the visual of a mirror image behind her, like a two-pronged attack, but also the power of loyalty when they stuck with her through when she got big, not just as a band but as the back-up for a single performer, though one as spectacular as Carlile, whose stardom was clearly apparent from her beginning). It was likely the same show she had been churning out throughout the entire tour (for In These Silent Days), though honed by this point to be silky smooth, so there wasn’t much spontaneity that would have gone a long way, but so safe as to showcase the songs instead of coming up with surprises that would disrupt a warm, lovely evening amidst the coming turmoil outside the lush environs of the Greek Theater, among thousands of like-minded fans equally concerned with what was going on in the world, but for now living in a beautiful moment that Carlisle and her band could bring.

Brandi Carlile’s set-list:
“Broken Horses“
“The Things I Regret“
“You and Me on the Rock“ (with Lucius)
“The Story“
“The Eye“
“The Mother“
“Mama Werewolf“
“Space Oddity“ (David Bowie cover)
“Creep“ (Radiohead cover)
“This Time Tomorrow“
“Right on Time“
“Sinners, Saints and Fools“
“The Joke“
“Turpentine“
“Party of One“

“How“ (Marcus Mumford cover; with Marcus Mumford; live debut of unreleased song "I'll forgive you now as if saying the words will help me know how...")
“Hold Out Your Hand“
“Stay Gentle“
“Over the Rainbow“ (Harold Arlen cover)