REVIEW: Gracie Abrams & Aaron Dessner | 9.11.23 @ Riverside Revival [PHOTOS]

Gracie Abrams & Aaron Dessner
Riverside Revival; Nashville, TN
September 11, 2023

Review by Philip Obenschain. Photos by Gina Di Maio.

Since debuting onto the scene with her poppy, electro-laced first EP, Minor in 2020, amidst the pandemic, and following it up with more expansive, earnest, indie bedroom pop project This Is What It Feels Like a year later, young LA pop breakout Gracie Abrams has played Nashville four times in a relatively short span of time: at The Basement East, in early 2022, in support of the latter release, then Marathon Music Works this March, mere weeks after dropping her debut studio album, Good Riddance, then just a few months later in support of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour at Nissan Stadium, in May (a planned second night with Swift saw Abrams’ set rained out). Her latest Nashville show (and third of 2023) however, was her most special yet: one of three small, intimate, stripped-down performances with producer and co-writer Aaron Dessner, who worked with Abrams on her last two releases, and has also been a key collaborator with artists like Swift in recent years (in addition to his work as a film composer, his own popular and long-running indie band The National, and many other projects). The other two performances- a first night in New York, and an upcoming final night in Los Angeles- have more direct connections to the pair: Abrams, the daughter of director J. J. Abrams and producer Katie McGrath, is from LA, and Dessner found fame in New York with The National, after relocating from Ohio, and now runs his acclaimed Long Pond Studio in the Upper Hudson Valley. Neither have such an apparent direct tie to Nashville, making our city’s inclusion on this limited run seem all the more special, but both expressed plenty of admiration for Music City (and, as mentioned, Abrams has been here twice this year already, and Dessner just headlined Ascend Amphitheater as well with The National).

Held at East Nashville’s Riverside Revival– a renovated former church turned event space- the performance took place in a small, cozy, and beautifully adorned room filled with just a few hundred fans, for an informal, earnest night of songs largely from Good Riddance. We had the privilege of checking out this special evening, and it was as magical and personal as you could hope for; read on for our full review and photos!

I was, admittedly, a little late to the Gracie Abrams bandwagon. I’d heard some of her popular, early singles, but didn’t spend much time with her records until earlier this year, ahead of the Eras Tour. Good Riddance instantly hooked me, both for the depth and talent of Abrams’ songwriting, and for Dessner’s signature lush, moody, substantive pop production. My first time seeing her live was at that Taylor Swift show, and though her brief opening set only consisted of four songs, I was impressed that a young artist who’s relatively new to touring was able to command an arena stage so well, and left wanting more. This performance at Riverside Revival couldn’t have been more different, or more perfect a way to see Gracie live again. (By contrast, my experience with Dessner is a lot more far-reaching; I’ve been a fan of The National for more than 15 years, and I’ve seen the band on numerous occasions in that time. I also think his work with Taylor Swift is some of the best music of her career.)

This was my first time at Riverside Revival, despite living in the neighborhood for years (it’s still a relatively new space), and upon entering I was both surprised by how intimate the venue is, and also how pretty and well-restored the former church looked. Concerts aren’t their main attraction, but it’s a perfect room for something like this, and the sound and lights and view from anywhere in the hall (and small balcony) were all pitch-perfect. Flanked by a merch table (offering just a few pieces of special merch for these shows) and a small bar and snack stand, the crowd was eagerly packed in front of the modest stage, set up with just a grand piano and a handful of guitars. Forgoing any kind of opening act, Abrams and Dessner emerged just a few minutes after the 8 o’clock start time, and the crowd of a few hundred immediately showed just how loud they could get, erupting in cheers and singing along enthusiastically as Gracie began the show with Good Riddance opener “Best,” alone at the mic with Aaron on piano.

Treating the whole night like an informal get-together between friends, Abrams waved, interacted with the crowd, pointed out familiar faces, and, early on, was handed a sparkly black cowboy hat, which she gleefully adorned throughout the first song. Billed as an “acoustic show,” it was more of simply a stripped-down affair, as, though acoustic guitars were employed, Dessner also made use of his electric guitar, loop pedals, and piano throughout, and Gracie traded off on guitar, piano, and vocals alone. Though some songs- “Block me out,” “Amelie,” “I should hate you,” prompted such especially loud and impassioned singalongs that they verged on drowning Abrams out, there wasn’t a single second throughout that everyone wasn’t singing along to every word, a fact that Dessner pointed out in amazement. The whole thing almost felt like watching a rehearsal; not that it wasn’t prime time ready, but rather it felt like causal, personal, and genuine, with the pair sharing a setlist, chatting with the crowd, telling stories, cracking jokes, referencing their personal lives, and talking through song choices on the fly.

While Dessner didn’t work on all of This Is What It Feels Like, he did co-write and produce a handful of that project’s tracks, and the two included in this set, “Camden” and “Rockland,” both named for towns in Maine, felt beautifully deconstructed in this stripped-down format, and were proceeded by stories of the duo’s first time working together at Long Pond. Beyond nine additional songs from Good Riddance, the only other track to make the set was a new one called “I knew it, I know you, I called it,” yet to be released, which she wrote with her best friend and roommate Audrey (the audience seemed keenly aware both of Audrey as well as Gracie’s dog Weenie as she referenced them, with one fan even arriving in his own Weenie-inspired outfit). Though the Good Riddance songs are a little more more ethereal and lush already, hearing them stripped-down only served to highlight just how strong Abrams’ songwriting is at its core; nothing felt lacking without a full band, and, if anything, it highlighted the confessional and personal subject matter, strong melodies, and interesting compositions- from pop songs to folk songs to ballads. I was also utterly blown away by Abrams’ effortless charisma as a performer, as well as her incredible voice. Gracie sounds great on the records, but her voice has always been produced with either a pop sheen or an indie ambience. Natural, it’s absolutely powerful and beautiful, and front and center in a small performance setting like this, with the skilled accompanied of a seasoned performer like Dessner, her talent and star power is so readily apparent.

Several times throughout the show, Gracie gushed about her love of Nashville, her appreciation for her fans, many of whom she recognized from the internet, and insisted that performances like this- smaller and less formal- are her favorite of all, and seemed absolutely sincere in those assertions. When two artists who could easily sell out venues ten times this size choose to play something so small and fan-forward, it’s clearly for the love of the art they’re making together, and a true thank you to everyone who supports it. And that love was palpably mutual, as the crowd respectfully sang along, cheered, shouted encouragement, and, at one point, in some apparent pre-show coordination, all held up paper hearts, to which Gracie replied with something to the effect of “what the fuck?? you guys are amazing!” before collecting them as a keepsake. Following a dozen mesmerizing songs and so many charming anecdotes between them, and after the night’s biggest singalong chant with the end of “I should hate you,” Abrams and Dessner concluded the evening with the melancholy and self-reflective “Right now,” a song that really wonderfully illustrated Gracie’s depth as an artist and songwriter. There wasn’t an encore, nor a cover (as they attempted in New York), but it as a perfect and incredibly special show, with just about the best crowd an artist could hope for. I was a Gracie Abrams fan already, but I left in awe of just how talented and down to earth she is, and I can’t wait to see what incredible art she (and, hopefully, Dessner) makes next!

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All photos by Gina Di Maio.

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Setlist:

Best
I know it won’t work
Block me out
Camden
This is what the drugs are for
Two people
I knew it, I know you, I called it
Where do we go now?
Amelie
Rockland
I should hate you
Right now