The audience at Bishop Briggs‘ show last Thursday at The Troubadour was ready for Halloween. Many came dressed in costumes for the show in celebration of the release that night of Briggs’ latest album Tell My Therapist I’m Fine. Maybe it was because Briggs herself had shared images on socials hinting of a costume for the show, but clearly her fan base is game for themes.
The stage set-up, decorated with yellow crime scene tape, worked to further enhance to spooky season vibes. Briggs herself came out in a nurse uniform covered in bloody handprints, while members of her team work mental hospital scrubs. It all played into the themes of mental health that play a big role in the artist’s latest album, a mix of punky, high-spirited bangers and emotional, bluesy ballads.
Briggs opened her set with the album’s opening track, “My Serotonin”, a punchy pop-punk number that felt like a fight song. Taking advantage of the occasion for the show, Briggs gave background on each song, delivering the stories of how or when the songs were written. Highlights were how the Barbie movie inspired the feminist anthem “I’m Not a Machine”, or how she had to climb a fence while 9 months pregnant just to get into the studio to record (I think) “Growing Pains”. I admit I was recovering from a cold during the show, so I can’t perfectly connect each story to each song, but what I did take away from it was that these songs were coming from a place of both grief, isolation (some were written during the pandemic), growth and empowerment.
Briggs also took a moment to gush over the experience of working with Travis Barker on “Isolated Love”. While she didn’t play the entire album in order, it didn’t diminish the great songwriting on display in the least bit. She closed the show with the albums first single, the belter “Mona Lisa on a Mattress” (one where the audience could singalong), and her massive break-out single “River”.
After the show, Briggs took the time to come upstairs and greet fans and friends who came out, and I can say she could not have been sweeter (we chatted a bit about the YouTube competition show No Cover she was a judge for). She’s definitely an effervescent presence on stage and off.
Briggs will tour behind the album next Spring, which should give you plenty of time to learn all the songs on it so you can sing along with her. Listen to it now!
The Indy Review 