MisterWives and Bishop Briggs Energize Charlotte

The Don’t Look Down Tour Brings The Best Of Indie-Pop To The Fillmore

You know that feeling you get deep inside your stomach when one of your favorite artists announces a tour? Now, imagine the feelings when not only one but two amazing artists announce a co-headlining tour. It’s a no-brainer, right? You simply must get tickets when they head to your town. Well, that’s how Charlotte area music fans felt when indie-pop band MisterWives and singer-songwriter Bishop Briggs announced that they would be heading out on tour together.

The excitement in the air was palpable as I headed to the box office and inside The Fillmore Charlotte for a night of musical adventures and new discoveries. The crowd was already packed in as fans anxiously awaited what was sure to be an evening they would never forget. Things got going early, a bit earlier than announced as pop singer Raffaella took the stage about 15 minutes before the scheduled show time. I was completely unfamiliar with her music so her set would prove to be my discovery of the evening as I instantly fell in love with her musical charms as she belted out unique songs like “drama queen” and “GROWN UP.” The singer also had a great stage presence, entertaining the crowd not only with her facial expressions but her seeming inability to stay still. In fact, she was kneeling and sitting down on the stage, crouching, and moving all about in an effort to connect with the crowd. If you’re headed out to see this tour, get there early to ensure you can experience all that Raffaella has to offer.

Next up, was MisterWives led by lead singer Mandy Lee who formed the band back in 2012. The band’s first album Our Own House made them a household name in the world of indie-pop and MisterWives hasn’t looked back since. Their latest record Nosebleeds was released this past summer in July and is a real showcase for the infectious melodies that are the backbone of MisterWives.

The band made their appearance to thunderous applause as a giant, geometric cube was positioned in the middle of the stage. It was from atop this cube that Mandy made her presence known and got the set started with “Out Of Your Mind” off the Nosebleeds album. The rest of the band took their various spots on stage with drummer Etienne Bowler on his own riser to the right of the stage and keyboardist/saxophonist Mike Murphy on a riser to the left. Guitarist Marc Campbell and bassist William Hehir were free to roam about the lower level of the stage. The band sounded fantastic. Everything was in sync as the lights flashed and smoke billowed across the stage.

Lee would make her way down to join her guitarists on the main stage, a gorgeous vision in black and white, working her way to the front and interacting with the fans pushed up against the barricade trying to get even a millimeter closer to the musicians on stage. The crowd was amped up and singing and dancing along as MisterWives raised the bar for musical performances. Lee was the ultimate frontwoman. She was absolutely glowing with excitement as she spun around on stage, even going as far as to do a total backbend at one point of the set, her red locks flowing behind her.

What a set! MisterWives was on fire and the crowd responded in kind. At the end, we were all a bit sweatier and a whole lot happier than when the show began. And yet, there was still much more to come because after a short break, it was time for Bishop Briggs to make her mark on our evening.

The same giant cube was positioned on the stage, but this time instead of at an angle it was straight with the bottom of the cube formatted as a huge video screen that would change images throughout the night. Briggs got her musical start early in life, writing songs at just seven years old but it wasn’t until 2015 with the release of her song “Wild Horses,” that her talents would become known to the music world. Since then, Bishop Briggs has exploded onto the scene, hitting the Top 10 on three different Billboard charts with “River” and getting the opportunity to tour with the one and only Coldplay. Her recent album When Everything Went Dark was released this past summer to much critical acclaim and love from her fans.

Briggs waved to the audience from atop the cube with an image of her emblazoned on the front as she sprung into action with “Art of Survival.” Sprung is the key word here because Briggs was the absolute definition of energy as she jumped, bounced, ran, and moved all over the lower level of the stage.

Between songs, she took the time to address the audience about various things going on in her life, including being a mom and what having a child entailed when on tour, and joked about having to get in shape for the running part of her show. Her approach was honest and it came across in her songs as fans felt an instant connection with the singer. It’s always refreshing when an artist shares their vulnerabilities with the audience and Briggs did it like a champion, regaling us with stories that aligned with her all her best songs. Highlights of the set included “Wild Horses,” an exquisite cover of Hozier’s “Take Me to Church,” and of course, the show closer, “River.”

The Don’t Look Down Tour brought a liveliness of both music and spirit to Queen City, giving music fans a night to remember.

See the Full Gallery of the Night Here!

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