Unable to contain herself to the BottleRock stage, St. Vincent augmented her festival appearance with a few additional Bay Area dates including a Saturday night ripper at the historic Masonic. With her latest release All Born Screaming hot off the presses, there was plenty of reason for the fans to show up, and show up they did.
Los Angeles-based indie rock band Momma kicked things off to the gathering crowd with a moody set that that stood in stark contrast to the onslaught that would follow—a bit of calm before the proverbial storm. Indeed, as the crew made quick work of the stage, the anticipation in the room was palpable as the fans continued to stream in, stretching the general admission floor to an uncomfortable capacity.
Taking the stage without her signature guitar, Anne was a commanding presence backlit in an archway as the band launched into “Reckless” from the new release. Despite its newness, All Born Screaming seems to have already made its mark on the fans who crammed up against the barricade to support their hero with not only vocals but her crowd surfing needs.
Picking up her guitar, it was back to more familiar territory with “Fear the Future” and “Los Angeless” off of Masseduction before veering back into ABS with “Big Time Nothing.” The heaping dose of 7 new songs melded perfectly with the old favorites, showcasing her evolution as an artist while still paying homage to her roots. Delivered with precision and fury along with dramatic lighting and an evolving stage with its moving arches and creative use of a videographer, the performance kept the audience rapt until the lights finally faded out on the new album’s title track, Annie’s arms crossed across her chest.
St. Vincent’s performance at The Masonic was a tour de force and the reason that her fans keep coming back. Combining her guitar skill with a captivating stage presence and innovative songwriting, she has solidified her status as one of the most exciting and boundary-pushing artists in the music industry today.
MOMMA
ST. VINCENT SETLIST
Reckless
Fear the Future
Los Ageless
Big Time Nothing
Marrow
Dilettante
Pay Your Way in Pain
Digital Witness
Sweetest Fruit (Live debut)
Flea
Cheerleader
Broken Man
Krokodil
Surgeon
Hell Is Near
Candy Darling
New York
Sugarboy
All Born Screaming
