Mitski Surprises Fans at the Belcourt

Ahead of the release of her seventh album next week, revered indie star Mitski hosted a number of listening parties for The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We Thursday night — including one at Nashville’s Belcourt Theatre. The Spotify-sponsored event featured a chance to listen to the record in full followed by a screening of a film selected by the artist, Gus Van Sant’s 1989 drama Drugstore Cowboy. 

While promotions for the worldwide events made it clear that Mitski would not be in attendance, this rule clearly had an exception. As the album’s final track faded into silence, the screen of the Belcourt’s 1925 Theater rose and the curtains pulled away, revealing Mitski herself onstage with a guitar to perform for some of her most dedicated fans. 

She treated the audience to the live debuts of three tracks from The Land Is Inhospitable, as well as a fan favorite track from her back catalog, 2016’s “A Burning Hill.” Armed with a bright-blue acoustic guitar, Mitski introduced “Buffalo Replaced,” revealing a reference to East Nashville’s bustling freight trains. She also played prereleased singles “Heaven” and “Star,” the latter in its prerecording original version. Before leaving the stage, Mitski even outed herself as a Belcourt member — as if people needed a reason to love her even more. 

The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We is an instant classic, taking Mitski's signature art-pop sound and magnifying it on an epic scale. With clear influences from classic country and orchestral music, the album transcends expectations. It’s as devastating as the saddest Phoebe Bridgers songs and exhibits Regina Spektor’s mastery of metaphor. The record is out via Dead Oceans on Friday, Sept. 15, and can be preordered via Mitski’s website or your favorite local record store — including Grimey's, which will host a listening party Wednesday.