Many artists dress up for their late night TV appearances, and Phoebe Bridgers is no exception. On Monday evening, she put on her best skeleton-onesie formalwear for a karaoke-style performance of “Kyoto” on Colbert.
Bridgers hung a glittering curtain and performed live from what appears to be her mother’s basement. She utilized two spinning disco balls and at least one other pulsing light fixture. To further enhance the 2 a.m. karaoke vibes, she piped her voice through either a very cheap amp, or perhaps a nice, expensive soundboard with the ability to make her voice sound thin and tinny.
As for the performance itself, Bridgers’ dancing is unpretentious and in-keeping with her cool dork persona. When she jumps off a chair, it doesn’t feel like arena-rock acrobatics, but something more playful, like an air-guitar version of diving into the crowd. Also, a second skeleton onesie makes an appearance towards the end. While it’s hard to tell behind the young man’s outrageous glasses, it might be Bridgers’ younger brother, who is mentioned in the “Kyoto” lyrics. Check out the full, fun performance below.
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“Kyoto” is the second single from Bridger’s gorgeous new album Punisher. Back in April, she performed the song from her bathroom on Kimmel. Last month, she sang “I See You” on Corden from inside her own car. She recently released a proper studio recording of John Prine’s “Summer’s End”, and her supergroup boygenius shared early demos For Bandcamp Day. On July 31st, her 2019 performance at Mavis Staples 80th birthday celebration will be virtually streamed as part Newport Folk Festival’s “Folk on Revival Weekend”.
