Indie-rock band boygenius, featuring Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus, took center stage at the iconic Hollywood Bowl on Oct. 31, 2023, for a sold-out Halloween performance. The event also hosted two opening acts, Sloppy Jane and 100 gecs.
As individual front-runners within the alternative genre, singer-songwriters Baker, Bridgers and Dacus formed boygenius somewhat “accidentally” in 2018. The trio immediately dropped their self-titled EP the same year, which was instantly met with critical and commercial success.
After a short-term hiatus, as well as the release of several consecutive solo projects, the group returned to release their first full-length album, “the record” in March. The work was given perfect scores from NME and Rolling Stone.
boygenius shared the news of the Halloween show in Los Angeles, along with a few other headlining performances, through an Instagram post on July 11, 2023. To further embrace the Halloween spirit, fans were invited by the group to dress up for the occasion.
The sold-out crowd of fans scaled the historic amphitheater wearing costumes alluding to 2023’s biggest pop culture moments. Fans donned bright “Barbie” outfit recreations, wore skeleton suits to reference Bridgers’ sophomore album “Punisher” and even cosplayed as the supergroup themselves.
Before the group took the stage, the Hollywood Bowl hosted a compelling land acknowledgment to honor the Gabrielino Tongva, Gabrielino Kizh and Fernandeño Tataviam Nations as the traditional stewards of the land.
“Do everything with seven generations in mind. Seven generations in front of you and seven generations behind you. This land is given by our ancestors and burrowed from our descendants. We ask that you treat it as such.”
The performance kicked off with “Without You Without Them,” the opening track from “the record.” The costumed crowd erupted with energy the moment the band set onto the stage.
As revealed on stage, The vocalists, their band members and the crew donned coordinated costumes inspired by the lyrics of “Not Strong Enough,” a single from “the record.”
The recurring lyrics, “Always an angel, never a god,” served as the creative influence for the band’s Halloween attire. Dacus, Baker and Bridgers assumed the roles of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, while their accompanying musicians adorned angelic wings and halos.
Phia Paventi, a second-year Moorpark College student and avid fan of the group since her sophomore year of high school, attended the show and shared her thoughts on the group’s highly speculated costume choice.
“My initial reaction to the group’s costume was a lot of excitement,” Paventi said. “boygenius talks a lot about religious symbols in their music. As someone who grew up ex-Catholic and very loosey-goosey with her own spirituality and Christianity, I think it was very beautifully done, I didn’t think it was too out of pocket for them to do.”
In a heartwarming moment, Bridgers even introduced her pet pug, Maxine, to the vast stage, urging the packed audience of 17,500 to hush to avoid startling the adorable pooch. With a smile, she showcased Maxine in her Lamb of God costume to the crowd.
As the band began their song, “Satanist,” the band thrilled the audience with a surprise guest appearance by the renowned musician and member of “Nirvana” and “Foo Fighters,” Dave Grohl, who took the drum kit to join in wearing a coordinated costume. The crowd’s response was a wave of ecstatic enthusiasm as Grohl delivered his performance.
Both fans in attendance and viewing clips online expressed excitement over the crossover.
“still can’t believe dave grohl played drums with boygenius like that’s MY worlds colliding,” one fan posted to X following the performance.
The show proceeded with a lineup of fan-favorite tracks from the band’s EPs and albums. The band took to the B-stage, which is located directly in the middle of the enormous crowd, to perform songs including “Afraid of Heights” and “Voyager” from the band’s EP, “the rest,” which was released earlier in the month on Oct. 13, 2023.
Madi Lim, a former Moorpark College student and fan of boygenius since the release of their first EP in 2018, commented on how the relaxed set change complimented the EP’s tone.
“I felt that the B-stage performance of the songs from “the rest” matched perfectly to what ‘the rest’ [songs] wanted the audience to feel,” Lim explained. “It made it feel much more intimate, and it’s always so special when artists go closer to the back.”
Adding an unexpected twist, each musician then took the spotlight for renditions of their bandmates’ solo work. Dacus led with her take on Baker’s “Good News,” followed by Baker’s powerful rendition of Bridgers’ “Motion Sickness.” To conclude this segment, Bridgers delivered a captivating performance of Dacus’ “Night Shift.”
The concert culminated with the band’s powerful track, “Salt In The Wound.” The closing moments featured the band members racing across the stage, sharing affectionate embraces and engaging in heartfelt kisses while Baker delivered a soul-stirring guitar solo.
Fans were left buzzing with adrenaline following the affectionately nicknamed, “Boogenius” performance.
