WRVU gets an exclusive opportunity to cover press for the Nashville iteration of St. Vincent’s 2021 tour, Daddy’s Home on October 9, 2021.
It’s hard to imagine a St. Vincent tour without elements of the theatrical. Their most recent “Daddy’s Home Tour” was once again no different. From the lighting cues to crafting a story plot to set design to dance moves, St. Vincent gave to the audience a meticulously crafted production at the Ascend Amphitheater.
Some moments of the show were more emblematic of a Broadway performance than something that you’d expect from a rock gig. Instead of the typical “How ya doing tonight, Nashville?!” to draw out cheers from the crowd, Vincent sets aside an act where she answers a telephone carried out by a stagehand. In a very interactive theater-esque meta phone conversation, Vincent uses their friend on the line to comment on the same-day Rolling Stones performance and asks the audience to scream into the phone so that their friend believes she has an audience for the Nashville show.
Aside from the breathtaking theatrics of the show, Vincent’s Daddy’s Home album definitely brings forth a new character–– a new era–– for them. Interestingly enough, the new era of St. Vincent is one of the funk-rock vintage era. The entirety of the album Daddy’s Home incorporates a 1970s funk-rock sound. Their stage outfit for the night perfectly mirrored this as well, as Nashville saw St. Vincent hypnotize the audience with their vintage-era clothing, pulled together by a red leather set with a red patterned ascot and gogo boots that completed the nostalgic vibes of the stage.
There was never a dull moment throughout the entirety of their set, and it was even more rewarding to the audience to see the diversity of St. Vincent’s musical prowess shine through. At times, it felt like it was a pop showcase with a slight hint of rock and roll. Other times, it felt like an intimate and vulnerable performance, as Vincent brought out her passion and emotion from the track to the stage. But perhaps the most iconic of them all is their guitar goddess riff moments. Shredding through the audience with the sole power of her amazing guitar techniques, St. Vincent showed off that she was in total control of the stage.
St. Vincent closed the night with a three-song encore, including the final track, “Melting of The Sun.” As the song faded out and the stage dimmed into darkness, St. Vincent left the audience with a newfound love and appreciation for the return of live performances that brings together the crowd and the performance. But most importantly, Vincent definitely left a new imprint for themselves in Music City as the diverse musical genius that is St. Vincent.
St. Vincent at Ascend Amphitheater, photos by Lucy Moon
