Concert review: Leon Bridges at Rabbit Rabbit
It was a gorgeous, sunny evening in downtown Asheville on May 18, as fans filed into a sold-out Rabbit Rabbit for the Leon Bridges show. Composed of all ages and all kinds, the crowd was as diverse as I’ve seen at an Asheville concert. After an enjoyable opening performance by psychedelic-meets-R&B artist Chiild, we were good and ready for the soul man we’d come to see.
Opening with “Shy,” Bridges proved he’s anything but. It was a surprising choice to start us off with such a mellow song, but Bridges soon had us purring along with him as he moved into the seductive “Steam,” “Brown Skin Girl,” and the breezy, sensual “Motorbike.” While his satin vocals were stunning as always, the high-energy showmanship we've come to expect seemed a bit subdued, to the point that the crowd got chatty and maybe a little bored.
Just as I was beginning to wonder if another venue might have been better for this particular tour — say, Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, where you can sit down — it happened: Bridges and his band kicked into a funked-up rendition of “Born Again,” followed by the toe-tapping, boogie number “Flowers.” Now we were cooking with gas!
Retro. Nostalgic. Old school. Bridges’ sound has commonly been described in terms such as these, and for good reason. But these descriptors are perhaps limiting, failing to acknowledge this artist’s evolution. His Grammy-nominated 2015 debut album, Coming Home, certainly has that throw-back vibe — an ode to the likes of Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, and early Marvin Gaye — but with something subtly, mysteriously contemporary underneath that got so many of us hooked.
With his follow-up album, Good Thing, he held on to that vintage sound but made it more his own. A little bit disco, a little bit funk, Bridges’ sophomore record began to infuse his sepia-toned essence with a little more color. And now, with the expansive Gold-Diggers Sound, he’s added layers of jazz and psychedelia, and somehow his Texas roots undergird all that in a way we haven’t heard before. While Bridges’ velvet voice remains the centerpiece, this third album sounds more like an album by a band than a solo artist, and it’s all the richer for it.
At Rabbit Rabbit, Bridges and his band brought all of this to bear — so much so that the first half of the show felt a bit fragmented. Then came the deep bass of his Platinum hit, “Beyond,” and everything changed. The chatter stopped and, like magic, the crowd was suddenly in sync — arms raised and swaying, singing along to that irresistible chorus:
“I'm scared to death that she might be it
That the love is real, that the shoe might fit
She might just be my everything and beyond. Beyond.”
From there, Bridges gave us “Sweeter,” his passionate response to the murder of George Floyd, prompting tears and hugs to spread throughout the crowd. For the rest of the show, we were fully engaged, aided by simple yet effective lighting design that played with vibrant monochromes, carrying us from mood to mood. As the set wound down, the rocking “Bad, Bad News” left us appropriately wanting more, laying the groundwork for an incredibly moving three-song encore. “Coming Home,” “Texas Sun,” and finally, “River” were delivered and received like gifts, and we ambled away grateful, happy and ready for next time.
(Photos by Jonny Leather)
