Adorned in a burnt orange jersey gifted to him last week by UT President Jay Hartzell, Leon Bridges took to the American Express stage on night one of Austin City Limits to perform songs from his new album Leon, released the same day, as well as reworked versions of his old hits. The soulful, Texas-raised singer paid tribute to our state in more ways than one, giving the audience an hour of music that ranged between R&B, soul, funk and much more.
The set, which started shortly before sunset, began appropriately with the singer’s hit collaboration with Houston-born Khruangbin, “Texas Sun.” He immediately wowed the crowd with his smooth-like-butter vocals and set the tone for an hour of loved-up melodies. This was followed by “When a Man Cries,” the first song of the night from Leon. Leon recorded this new album in Mexico, and it was clear to hear how his songs are influenced by the music of Mexico and the Rio Grande Valley. Even when performing older songs, like those off his debut album Coming Home, the band switched up their instrumentation from the recorded versions, adding guitar pedals that made the rhythms more funk-like and introducing more variety to the percussion.
“That’s What I Love” was a standout performance from the new album. Leon picked up the acoustic guitar for this one and joined his band in performing an extended version of the song with lyrics that could’ve been from a love letter and instrumentals that ebbed and flowed to create a story told through music.
While the band was essential for creating the vibrant ambience of Leon’s music, the most striking moment of the set came when the singer performed “River,” one of his most popular songs off Coming Home. The ballad is a staple of the singer’s soulful ways, one which describes love so fondly that it becomes religious. That is exactly what this performance conveyed; Leon’s voice was the star of the show, accompanied solely by the simple strumming of his electric guitar and a choir of backup vocals from his band. As the song went on, each instrument joined in gently, adding slowly to its powerfulness. In the crowd, a man proposed to his girlfriend, proving just how romantic of an atmosphere the song creates.
This proposal came at the perfect moment because after “River,” the band moved on to “Beyond,” another fan favorite in which Leon sings fondly about the perfect woman, asking lustfully, “Will she have my kids? Will she be my wife?” At this point, the crowd was oozing with fondness for the singer and love for those around them. The upbeat melodies and sickly sweet lyrics of “Beyond” set the perfect tone to end the night on a high.
Now four albums in, Leon Bridges proved through this performance that he has become an expert in his craft, always able to seamlessly blend genres and create a mood that encapsulates his audience. After his performance at ACL weekend two, he will take this show on the road with The Leon Tour beginning October 15.