Nobody is doing it quite like Mitski.
On Sun., Sept. 1, the indie rock songstress closed out her three-night stint at Columbia, MD’s Merriweather Post Pavilion, the second stop on her 2024 summer tour for The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We (2023). Mitski’s weekend marked the longest run at Merriweather in 30 years, and the first time a woman has performed three consecutive nights since Donna Summer in 1979 (Baltimore Sun source).
Known for her emotive lyrics and idiosyncratic performance style, the Japanese-American singer songwriter enchanted the crowd with her signature Liquid Smooth vocals—vocals nearly identical to those featured on her recordings.
After performances from Lamp and Alvvays on Fri., Aug. 30 and Sat., Aug. 31 respectively, up-and-coming bluegrass darling Sierra Ferrell opened for Mitski on night three. Clad in bedazzled boots, feathered hair clips, and a pastel bodysuit, Ferrell’s twangy performance was the embodiment of “Chappellachia.” From her Roan-esque vocal flips to her riveting fiddle-playing, songs such as “In Dreams,” “Fox Hunt,” and “American Dreaming” transported listeners straight to the heart of the backcountry.
The first stand-out number from Mitski’s set was “Working for the Knife,” a synth-cushioned track from Laurel Hell (2022) which captures the acute frustrations of life as an unfulfilled creative: “I cry at the start of every movie / I guess ’cause I wish I was making things too / But I’m working for the knife,” she sings. Awash in scarlet stage lights, Mitski uses a series of simple yet sharp arm movements to capture her simmering rage.
A few songs later, Mitski embraced unabashed vulnerability on “I Bet on Losing Dogs.” Here, rather than longing for an artistic outlet, Mitski pines for a star-crossed lover. During the brooding post-chorus, Mitski crawled on all fours and panted like a puppy, unafraid of honestly depicting the humiliation and self-loathing that comes with clinging to a toxic romantic connection far past its expiration date. It was a moment so self-deprecating it was uncomfortable to watch—which is precisely what made it so effective.
Two other visually resonant numbers were “My Love is Mine All Mine,” Mitski’s sweet-toothed mega-hit which currently boasts over a billion streams on Spotify, followed by “Last Words of a Shooting Star.” During this diptych, Mitski wove between dangling, kelp-like tendrils of broken mirror fragments, set pieces which cleverly reflect the mellow, introspective nature of these musical selections. While singing about tidying her room in “Last Words,” Mitski tidied the stage by methodically caressing each tendril one by one, her delicate touch sending them recoiling into the sky.
Though the vast majority of Mitski’s discography deep dives into themes of isolation, depression, and, as she said on stage, “not the kind of sex you want your kids to learn about,” she also peppered her setlist with a fair share of unexpectedly lighthearted moments. In her opening number “Everyone,” cheerful, folky instrumentals replaced the song’s usual repetitive and droning techno beat. This playful genre-bending re-emerged at multiple points throughout the rest of the show on songs such as “Happy” and “I Don’t Smoke.” Though both of these tracks are normally quite dreary, with an increase in tempo, a staunch change in accompaniment, and some jazzy dance moves, Mitski reimagined these melancholic anthems as something, well, happy—at least sonically. This upbeat energy continued on the encore songs “Nobody” and “Washing Machine Heart,” fan favorites with lively percussion and infectious choreography. Though perhaps not the temperament you might expect at a Mitski concert, the choice to wrap the night up on a high note was a welcome deviation from the anguish that textures much of her oeuvre.
When conversing with the crowd, Mitski’s attitude matched the high-spiritedness of her revised setlist; towards the end of the show, she touchingly proclaimed herself to be “the happiest woman in Maryland.” Audience members left the pavilion feeling jubilant right alongside her. With her captivating stage presence and breathtaking vocals to match, one thing is undeniable: Mitski is A Pearl, and the world is her oyster.
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