Julia Jacklin The Blue Room at Third Man Records; Nashville, TN April 13, 2024
Photos by Gina Di Maio
Just one night after gracing the stage at The Ryman Auditorium for the first time, in support of the third of a four-night residency from famed, Nashville-based indie favorite Mitski, Australia’s Julia Jacklin returned to The Blue Room at Third Man Records for a more intimate, headlining solo show. The Blue Room holds a special place for the folky, indie pop rocker, as it’s the first place she ever played in Nashville, just after the release of her breakout sophomore album Crushing in 2019, before going on to headline Mercy Lounge and The Basement East in the following years- most recently in 2022.
Alone on stage with just a guitar- the same setup she had the night prior- Jacklin’s songs took on a more barebones, deconstructed, and personal bent without the full band arrangements of her records. Performing for a sold out, incredibly enthusiastic crowd, she reflected on the special show at The Ryman, and created the aura of an informal, living room show for friends, seemingly choosing her setlist on a whim and in collaboration with the crowd. From older favorites like “Motherland” and “Pool Party,” Crushing tunes like the buzzy “Pressure to Party,” forlorn “Don’t Know How to Keep Loving You,” “Convention,” and “Comfort,” to songs from her latest, 2022’s Pre Pleasure, like “Lydia Wears a Cross,” “Be Careful with Yourself,” and “Ignore Tenderness,” to fan-favorite one-off single “to Perth, before the border closes,” the setlist was a perfect, resonant, career-spanning snapshot of one of the most impressive discographies of the last decade, and felt particularly raw, vulnerable, and emotionally affective in such a small, up close space, and with just the singer and a guitar.
Check out our photos from Julia’s return to The Blue Room below!