Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic
"Down" – St. Vincent with Louis Cato and The Late Show Band
St. Vincent has done some seriously high-concept tours over the past decade. In support of 2017’s “Masseduction,” her synth-pop-glorifying “Fear the Future Tour” saw her layer pop-art video projections on the big screen, obscuring masks on her bandmates, and lots of latex in the dressing room, all to enhance her candy-colored dominatrix look. Conversely, on the tour behind 2021’s “Daddy’s Home,” she combined artificiality with genuine warmth, retro accents shedding some of the avant-garde flourishes. There, she went blonde and led a team of backup singers through an old-school soul revue laced with a dash of psychedelia.
Her mo now? The big concept in 2024 is to… put on a rock show.
Of course, with St. Vincent, nothing can ever be that simple. Her show remains a show that invites deep thought and ancient reactions. But aside from whatever neural pathways you might be tempted to travel while pondering her lyrics and themes in concert, what’s striking about “All Born Screaming Tour” is how minimalist it is. With no video screens, no backup singers, no skits, and lots of electric guitar, it’s the purest distillation of St. Vincent we’ve had on stage in years. And while we love the sharply conceptual stuff, she’s such a compelling talent that you’re drawn to get as close as you can, bells and whistles or not.
