If there is only one thing you take away from a Bishop Briggs show, it’s that she has a ton of energy!
Bishop Briggs brought her high energy show to Union Transfer in Philadelphia on Friday night.
She also has an amazing voice. Every time I see her, I’m amazed how she can run and jump around the stage the way she does, and still belt out her songs and sound great. I’ve seen Briggs a couple of times now, and she always puts on a great show. She has a brand-new album out, and is hitting the road to support its release.
We had a chance to see her sold-out show at Union Transfer in Philadelphia last week, with opener Foreign Air. Keep reading to find out more about the show!
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THE VENUE
Bishop Briggs played at one of my favorite smaller indoor venues in Philadelphia – Union Transfer. You can read more about the venue here:
Tip #1: If you’re looking for a place to grab a bite to eat and a few beers, stop in at Roy Pitz Barrel House. They have great food and really good beer. Their happy hour is Tuesday – Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. You can get $3 pint drafts, $6 cocktails, and $6 Stone and Key wine. They are located just one block east of Union Transfer on Spring Garden Street.
The mac and cheese bites were a special appetizer on Friday night. The sauce was delicious and had a kick to it!
I had the burger for my entrée. The beef was seasoned really well.
My husband had the chicken schnitzel sandwich, which was also delicious!
THE SHOW
FOREIGN AIR
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Foreign Air is made up of friends Jesse Clasen and Jacob Michael. They were both involved with different bands, and met when their bands were on the same bill in Charlotte, NC. They just released their new single – “Loud Magic” – and are out on the road opening for Bishop Briggs.
THE PERFORMANCE
Foreign Air took the stage at 8:30 p.m. One of the first things I noticed about them is their bass. It’s the type that makes the floor vibrate, and that you feel in your chest.
They kicked off their set with their new single “Loud Magic”, and then went into “Echo”.
Foreign Air didn’t waste a lot of time talking. They just briefly introduced themselves and said they were from DC and NYC. Instead of talking, they focused the short amount of time they had on their music. They cranked through a number of their songs including “Lying” and “Free Animal”.
The guys from Foreign Air got the sold-out crowd warmed up!
Foreign Air has a great sound that had the sold-out crowd dancing. Everyone around me seemed to be really enjoying the music.
The crowd seemed to really enjoy Foreign Air’s opening set.
The band is currently on the road opening for Bishop Briggs. Check out their website at www.foreignair.net for more information on the band and upcoming tour dates.
BISHOP BRIGGS
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Bishop Briggs (aka Sarah Grace McLaughlin) was born in London to Scottish parents. When she was 4-years old, Briggs moved with her family to Tokyo. The first time Briggs sang in public was at a karaoke bar in Tokyo. The karaoke bars in Tokyo had a big impact on her and inspired her to pursue a musical career.
At age 10, her family moved again to Hong Kong. She moved to Los Angeles after high school to attend college at Musician’s Institute.
As Briggs started her professional career, she played any venue that allowed her to perform. A performance at a local bar in 2015 gained the attention of a record label, and she recorded her first single – “Wild Horses” – under the name of Bishop. The song was featured in an Acura commercial, and ended up climbing the charts.
In January of 2016, Briggs released her second single – “River”. She also changed her name to Bishop Briggs, so she wouldn’t be confused with a heavy metal band named Bishop. “River” was a huge commercial success for Briggs, and was constantly in the rotation at alternative radio stations across the country.
Briggs continued to have success in 2016, including opening for Coldplay on 9 dates of their fall of 2016 tour. She also opened for Kaleo during their fall tour.
Briggs released her debut album – Church of Scars – in April of 2018.
THE PERFORMANCE
Bishop Briggs took the stage at 9:40 p.m. Wearing a yellow track suit and her signature side buns, Briggs was a powerhouse from the minute she took the stage with opener “White Flag”.
Bishop Briggs thrilled the sold-out crowd!
The second song of her set was her first hit – “Wild Horses” – and she had the sold-out crowd signing along with her.
Briggs addressed her fans telling them how honored she was to be back in Philadelphia celebrating the release of her first record. She told a story about how she only had 200 followers on Twitter when she first started out. One of those followers was PhillyFan07, who tweeted her saying that if she didn’t come to Philly, we will kill you! Briggs joked that the tweet started her love affair with Philly, because she felt like that fan had the same passion she did.
Bishop Briggs moves so much during her set, that it’s hard to get a clear shot!
Before going into the song “Lyin’”, she explained how she had to keep some secrets while she was making her new album. One of those secrets, was that she wrote the song with Dan Reynolds from Imagine Dragons. She said the only people she told was her mom, dad and sister.
When talking about Dan Reynolds, Briggs mentioned his commitment to supporting the LGBTQ community. Briggs said she is also a big proponent of the community, and was raising money for GLAAD in support. She said there was a donation box out in the lobby on the merch table, and that her sister had decorated the box.
One of the coolest things about the show, was that both acts had a sign language interpreter on the side of the stage throughout the night. As Briggs was wrapping up her set, she acknowledged the two ladies that were signing through the show, and said she thought that every artist should do that during their shows.
One of two sign language interpreters that was used throughout the show.
Briggs wrapped up her main set with “Hi Lo (Hollow)” from her new album. After a quick break, she came back on stage for a 2-song encore. Briggs said that she was always a little afraid for encores, just in case no one cheered. That wasn’t the case for the sold-out crowd in Philly!
Briggs opened her encore with a song called “Baby” that she said was an unreleased song and technically still a demo. She wrapped up her set with her most popular song – “River” – which left the crowd singing and dancing along.
Bishop Briggs put on a short – but great – show!
If I have one complaint about the show, it’s that Briggs’ set was too short. At just 60 minutes, I would have liked another few songs. I know that Briggs has a limited song catalog at this point in her career, but a few covers thrown in would be fine. As a headliner, she needs to be able to get to a 90-minute set.
Briggs is currently on the road supporting the release of her new album. She’ll be touring throughout May and June, so be sure to check her out if she comes near you. Check out her website for more information on her new album and her upcoming tour dates at www.bishopbriggs.com.
Set List (click on any link to purchase the song directly on Amazon): White Flag, Wild Horses, Tempt My Trouble, The Way I Do, Be Your Love, Lyin’, Water, The Fire, Hallowed Ground, Dream, Hi-Lo (Hollow) Encore: Baby (unreleased), River
Have you listened to Bishop Briggs’ new album? If so, what do you think? Have questions about Briggs or Foreign Air? Please comment or e-mail me at tips2livebywriter@gmail.com.
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