PHOTOS: Mitski – New York, NY 2/28/24

All eyes were fixated on Mitski at Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre on the final evening of her 7 sold-out New York shows on her 2024 tour.

The crowd was buzzing, anticipating a spectacular night of beautiful theatrics, impressive vocals and playful banter. Mitski topped off her New York run with a victory lap of a performance, showcasing her versatility as an artist, creative director and dancer the entire night.

Her tour, in support of her most recent album from September last year “The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We,” is a more folksy, mellow bent for the singer. Mitski performed an immersive journey through 10 tracks off her new album, including the hit “My Love Mine All Mine.” Among her new songs, she performed a selection of older songs and fan favorites from her decade-spanning career with a subtle folk twist to match her current sound.

Mitski emerged from stage left, opening with “Everyone” from her 2022 album “Laurel Hell.” She slowly glided to the center mark behind a column of red curtains, projecting a dramatically monumental silhouette of her every move. The curtain dropped as bright white lights beamed from behind Mitski, cueing an impressive roar from the crowd.

The entire show was a theatre performance in every right, both subtle and dynamic. The audience remained seated for the whole set and mouthing the words rather than singing aloud; nobody stood up to dance until the encore. The conceptual artistic direction spoke volumes about where Mitski has elevated her musical work, akin to a performing arts show and a setting where the audience can appreciate and celebrate Mitski’s creative mind. The venue’s grandeur also perfectly complemented Mitski’s theatricality.

The visual elements of the concert added to the overall experience, with dynamic lighting and a simple circular platform center stage.

Mitski’s expressive movements on stage enhanced the emotional impact of each lyric, drawing the audience deeper into her world. She mimed strumming a guitar for the entirety of “The Frost” and slow-danced with a spotlight beam during “Heaven” to a somber soundscape.

The show felt like an ode to her sonic and artistic maturity, where she has freed herself of the bounds of her more edgy, intense songs and channeled every lyric and the emotions charged behind them in a raw, expressive style of dance. In classic Mitski fashion, she jumped, crawled, and elegantly somersaulted across the stage. For old standouts like “Everyone” and “Love Me More,” Mitski gave nothing short of a mesmerizing country-folk interpretation.

A marvelous, visually stunning highlight was “My Love Mine All Mine.” Shards of mirrors levitated above Mitski like a Christmas tree. The irregular pieces tilted and rotated slowly while an overhead spotlight hit the reflective surfaces with shimmering beams. As if Mitski reached out with light and her words into space— into the darkness of the crowd— she captured the essence of a very human experience: embracing one’s capacity to love and give love— for others and for oneself.

Mitski relished in her final show on her NYC run for the tour. “I’m so happy. Thank you for coming and spending your Wednesday night here. I’m so happy.”

Closing the show with the classic hit “Nobody” and a marionette-like performance of “Washing Machine Heart,” Mitski had everyone standing on their feet for the encore. The mood shifted completely to a joyful celebration that left fans satisfied with the winding musical and visual journey that the singer had shepherded. Keeping the old songs that fans love still at the core of her music while evolving with time, Mitski has proven that she can— and will— indulge in new explorations that express her love for the art and for staying true to herself only.