Mitski, who is known for her songs “Nobody” and “Strawberry Blond,” had a successful three-night stop in Atlanta from Sept. 6 to Sept. 8. The tour for her latest album, “The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We,” was held in the historic Fox Theatre.
Mitski brought out the Japanese indie band Lamp as her opener. With their delicate vocals, funky guitars and unconventional percussion, Lamp held the audience in a captivating performance. The lead singer’s vocals carried more than words. Even though the majority of the audience could not understand Japanese, their emotions, sometimes combined with the croak of a guiro (a wooden, frog-looking instrument), left a bright and calming vibe to the concert. If jazzy, indie pop sounds appealing, make sure to listen to Lamp.
After Lamp left the stage, fans waited in a hushed atmosphere, like they would for a play or a musical. It was very different from a traditional concert — there was excitement, but not in a riled up, chatty manner. Considering the fact that Mitski announced how she wanted her fans to connect with the live performance rather than to record her on their phones, her wishes seemed to be well respected, even in the intermission period.
Finally, Mitski came up on stage quietly. Slowly approaching from the side, she started with the song, “Everyone,” from her previous album, “Laurel Hell.” Arriving at the center of the stage, she was quickly enshrouded in a circular fabric, making her shadow a larger-than-life figure.
Once the fabric came down, the show really began. From her strong vocals to distinct dancing, Mitski delivered an enticing performance from the start. Most notably, in “I Bet on Losing Dogs,” she shrinks herself down as the dog, connecting with the lyrics and giving a memorable interpretation of her own songs.
Despite the artistic quality of her show, Mitski did not shy away from speaking with the audience directly. In a humorous manner, she commented on the Georgian weather and its shocking lack of humidity that weekend. She also jokingly thanked the parents who, perhaps begrudgingly, came to see her with their teenagers. These interactions made her tour much more personalized to each city, and they did not take away from her act.
One of the other unique aspects about her performance was her use of light. In the beginning, she used lighting just like other concerts, but as she got deeper into the show, the light became another performer. One of the most notable uses was during “Heaven,” when she danced with the spotlight. Instead of shining down on her, the spotlight was its own entity, her partner. It was a beautiful sight to see, and it made the concert almost like performative art despite the minimal stage decorations.
In addition to the personification of light, she also made use of its reflective qualities in singing one of the most popular songs from her new album, ”My Love Mine All Mine.” Fitting with its melancholy mood, light reflected off of fragmented pieces of metal, reminding the audience of stars. Surrounded by these glowing pieces, Mitski delivered a hauntingly melodic performance.
Another surprise was her country rendition of “I Don’t Smoke,” a song filled with electric guitar and bass. While Mitski is known for her impressive lyricism and sometimes grunge sounds, it was interesting to hear one of her most bass-heavy songs as a danceable, playful beat. However, the performance only solidified her prominence as a maturing artist and her ability to switch between genres while maintaining her sound.
As every musician does, Mitski rushed off stage after a thank you only to come back for a final goodbye in the form of an encore. She then played a couple of her most popular songs: the viral “Nobody” and the catchy “Washing Machine Heart.” In a mix of the old and the new, Mitski stunned Atlanta with her artistic concert, in both vocals and performance. While her tour can be described in many splendid ways, the best word to describe it is poetic.