Words and photos by Antonio Taurisano.
After experiencing the 2023 Boygenius reunion and witnessing the commanding stage presence of Julien Baker, excitement was an all time high when she announced a London stop on her solo tour.
Needless to say, right after getting a notification that the show was happening, I cleared my calendar for the third week of November and flights to London were booked.
Finally November came, and after flying across half of Europe, I found myself in the middle of the cold November rain—oh no, a Guns N’ Roses reference— in Hackney, and I headed towards EartH Hall.
As Katie Malco and SOAK warmed up the stage, it’s evident why Julien Baker picked them to open the show before her: their dexterity navigating the guitar fretboard, their smooth vocals, and carefully picked lyrics were a sweet surprise, even more so after the sour taste of the British weather.
Then it came time for the main act: Julien Baker walked in dressed in all black, with the piano notes of “Over” in the background, which then faded into “Appointments” in a dramatic and just as powerful opening performance.
After, still with no introduction or spoken words, Baker’s Fender Telecaster started to roar the chords of “Ringside” from her second LP “Little Oblivions.” In a powerful triumph of emotion that traveled all the way to the back of the venue, Julien’s voice grabbed the audience’s attention. With an unrelenting grip at their throats, Julien left no room for anything but tears.
Very few words were spoken throughout the set, as Julien took a “show don’t tell” approach at EartH Hall. It was a showcase of raw, real, unrestrained emotion. Julien poured herself into her lyrics, leaving room for personal interpretation her work while she visibly felt every word. At times, she shook her head as if absorbing the impact of her own accusations—most evidently in the song “Even” when she sang:
“It’s not that I think I’m good / I know that I’m evil / I guess I was trying to even it out.”
The first show was absolutely mesmerizing, so much so that I had to go again the next night. This was when Julien came back out for her encore, starting off with “Turn Out the Lights”, just before going for the usual “Everybody Does” ending. Something that stood out was when the lights actually turned off for the song as she sang the word. These details helped her deliver a performance that I’d say was nothing short of life-changing.
The quiet awe and murmurs of surprise from the crowd were a clear sign that such a feeling was shared, like an interconnected electric field flowing throughout the entire audience, from the front of the pit to the back of the venue.
