Phoebe Bridgers fans were lined up at 6 a.m. at the Stone Pony's Outdoor Stage in Asbury Park—which says a lot about where Bridgers is, and where she's heading. As her fanbase grows, so do the venues, and this one was barely enough to contain her. The crowd's tenacity paid off though, as Phoebe not only read their signs, and sang their requests, but came down into the audience to let them sing along. It wasn't unlike a certain New Jersey native who used to go down and pull fans from his crowd.
While Phoebe isn’t The Boss, she’s certainly a boss. In fact, as the head of Saddest Factory Records, she brought out one of her first signed artists Claud to open for her. (Don't miss our cover story with Bridgers and the Saddest roster.) She even mentioned that with it being Claud's last stop with her, they got her a Father’s Day card as a parting gift.
It was the perfect night for a show. The light breeze rolled in off the Atlantic and beach goers extended their day by camping along the boardwalk and area parking lots to hear the sold-out show without buying a ticket. The breeze wasn’t enough inside, though. Medics scrambled to move overheated fans to safety as the long day in the hot sun and tight crowds caused several fans to pass out. This didn't go unnoticed by Phoebe as she stopped several times to alert security, help fans, and even point out a drone that either the venue or a clever fan was flying around the stage.
Though she's known for her sad songs, Bridgers and her band can rock out when they want to. There was a surprising number of guitar freakouts for someone who's known for performing in her pajamas. At one point she told the audience, “If you don’t believe abortion is healthcare, get the fuck out of my show,” which was met with a deafening roar. Bridgers wound things down by closing the show with a gentle cover of Bruce Springsteen’s "Stolen Car" from his 1980 album The River. “I just screamed my guts out and now I’m gonna sing this,” Bridgers told the captivated crowd before the song, which she said she drew inspiration from Patty Griffin's rendition. “So please, be patient with me.”
Check out more photos from the evening below.
Scroll through more shots of Phoebe Bridgers at The Stone Pony in the gallery below.
