Mitski Resonates at the Ryman

Over the decade that she’s been releasing albums, acclaimed indie-rock architect Mitski has shepherded a diverse flock of fans into her carefully crafted musical universe. From her 2014 breakout DIY record Bury Me at Make Out Creek to her 2018 mainstream success Be the Cowboy, the singer-songwriter has consistently expanded her sound in new ways. But the beating heart of Mitski's evolving sonic macrocosm is her writing. Her lyrics offer simplicity and raw vulnerability in a balance that’s relatable to a wide audience. 

Those qualities helped launch her into a new type of fame, thanks to the pandemic-driven explosion in popularity of TikTok. This almost-overnight exposure to a new, even younger fan base was clearly evident from one look across the pews packed with a sold-out crowd at the Ryman Thursday night. Young teenagers accompanied by parents or guardians turned out in abundance.

That shift is one of many that Mitski has rolled with since she announced that a September 2019 show in New York would be her last. In the months that followed, she moved to Nashville, just in time to become one of a huge variety of creative people working on a new project amid a pandemic. In February, she released Laurel Hell, a critically acclaimed and commercially successful album on which she’s reached a new dimension of gripping honesty. For her sixth studio full-length, she traded the gritty rock elements that marked much of her early work for more stylized, ’80s-pop-inspired sensibilities. Still, the added synths and pounding beats don't distract from the distress and uncertainty she voices in “Working for the Knife” or the soft ache of “There's Nothing Left for You.”

Mitski's Ryman debut was originally scheduled to feature support from New York indie outfit Michelle, but a COVID-19 case in their touring party forced them off the road. Some of Mitski’s tour dates were rescheduled due to a positive test in her touring party, as well — a concern shared by a broad range of musicians as mask requirements dwindle. A pre-recorded message from Mitski herself, asking fans to wear their masks for the entirety of the show, played over the speakers as we shuffled to our seats.

The lack of an opener wasn’t a hindrance for the immersive 23-song performance. Cast in a glow of pink and purple, Mitski began by slowly gliding toward center stage to perform Laurel Hell’s “Love Me More” and “Should’ve Been Me.” Her energy seemed to intensify with each subsequent song, and the crowd responded with unbridled excitement — especially for the tunes that have been the basis for thousands of fan-made videos on TikTok, like “Nobody,” “Me and My Husband” and “Washing Machine Heart” from Be the Cowboy and “I Bet on Losing Dogs” and “Your Best American Girl” from her 2016 album Puberty 2. Though many in the audience may have first experienced Mitski's work in miniscule clips on social media, the enthusiasm stayed high for songs from across her catalog.

The performance was anchored by Mitski's interpretive dancing, which added dramatic visual cues to her wordplay. Aside from a door positioned at center stage, the setup was minimal, allowing her to use most of the space as a dance floor. This isn’t the type of performance art you necessarily expect to elicit frantic chants and screams unless you’re at, say, one of Kate Bush’s exceptionally rare concerts, but the crowd at the Mother Church was clearly way into it.

It's easy for both older fans and critics to discount the feelings of young teens, many of whom are searching for connection, or a way to vocalize the confusing, often overwhelming emotions that emerge in those formative years. The cathartic joy on many of these tear-streaked faces shows just how far Mitski's style of storytelling can reach. The lyrical themes she presents tend to have something to do with maturing, whether she’s singing about navigating romantic relationships, career choices or something else that shapes and is shaped by your identity; even if you haven’t experienced the exact thing she’s singing about, she shares it in a way that hits home. And at the end of the day, who are any of us to decide whose emotional connections to music are less valid?

As the show wound down, Mitski and her band circled back to songs from Be the Cowboy, ending the main set with “A Pearl.” They retreated from the stage but were gone only a few seconds before returning for the encore, “Two Slow Dancers.” From its first lines, the love song conveyed how recalling and processing your feelings is something more important than nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake. “Does it smell like a school gymnasium in here?” she sang, as the melancholy chords pulsed like a slow heartbeat. “It’s funny how they’re all the same / It’s funny how you always remember.”