Concert Review: Bishop Briggs Is A KWEEN In Irving Plaza Concert
There is a drastic difference between a queen and KWEEN. While queens stay in their castles, kweens ride with their people. Bishop Briggs is a Kween, and she served gold on a platter through her music. I was stunned by her performance, in the best of ways. Her voice is powerful like a call to battle, which makes sense as most of her songs are about fighting or giving in to one’s desires. Yet, the audience at Irving Plaza on October 6 realized their newest and most rejuvenating desire has come in the form of Bishop Briggs.
For starters, Bishop Briggs is like a sparkler on stage. She jumps and jolts in energy as if music was electrifying her body. Then, she hovers over her microphone, like a fierce witch over her cauldron, assuring that her spell is lyrically brewed and cast. You cannot stop watching her, but more importantly, you cannot stop smiling. For however dark her songs can be like Dead Man’s Arms, where she sings on the un-beating heart of a lover, or River, where she asks him to devour her, there is a sinfulness to her music that sultrily simmers like our inner inhibitions. Briggs sings to the calls of freedoms we have in all of us such as, to love as we want and be loved as needed. Thus, her bassline may be heavy, but lyrically her search is to feel light-hearted. which why she is a kween. She feels approachable as a human being, despite the fact that you are left dumb-founded by the cosmic force of her presence. She is incredibly vivacious on stage, and that type of liveliness is what pushed Briggs to feel like a co-headliner of Kaleo’s The Handprint Tour.
I want to note the immense power of Briggs dynamic presence by admiring that, though she was opening for Kaleo, she appeared like a headliner that night. When you look at opening acts, they are seen as preparation for the “real band” or “head-name on the ticket” and can, sometimes, be treated like a “toss-away” by an audience. Thus, you know that you are something special when you grab audience’s attention like you are the main event of the universe, and hold it for an hour to make them say “Wow!” in repetition. People were amazed by Briggs distinct mix of electronica and spiritual hymns. No, she did not breakout into a “Praise, Jesus” moment, although I did at witnessing her vocal prowess. Yet, there is an undercurrent of revivalism that pulses through her music because of the selected riffs and hums she uses to present the guttural pain and strife of life when you are rising to your light.
Briggs is one of the transformative vocalists to come around because of the emotiveness of her voice. You feel every single sentiment that goes into her song’s fibers. She is completely cognizant that she is giving a performance, which means she uses every level of her being, mind, body, and spirit, to evoke her music’s essence. This allows her to transcend from singer/entertainer to artist. Luckily, you can witness this magnetizing songstress on October 7 at Irving Plaza again. GET YOUR TICKETS!!! She is a must-see and must-watch, especially because a talent and ferocity like hers is bound to elevate in the music industry chain. For More information on Bishop Briggs and upcoming tour dates click here.
