Live Nation presents: Lindsey Stirling, August 1, 2023, in Bridgeport, CT
Words and photos by: Chantel Malin
Lindsey Stirling kicked off the US leg of her summer tour in Bridgeport, CT on August 1. The concert marked her first show in America after several in Europe, including Lollapalooza Paris.
Special guest Walk Off The Earth opened the night with the most unique cover set you could imagine. With a band full of musicians so multi-talented they could each be a band in their own right, the stage was packed full of energy and constant instrument swaps - including additions such as an electric didgeridoo, hand pan, and more. The band put their own unique spin on hits spanning genres and decades, including songs from Graham Lyle, Gnarls Barkley, AC/DC, The Revivalists, and Wheatus. They closed with a medley chock full of hits, all performed together on a single, multi necked guitar.
Stirling took the stage next, and truly brings a new meaning to the word entertainment. Known for her choreographed dance while playing violin, the artist has brought her performance to a new level with the addition of aerial rings and harnesses, a slew of touring dancers, magic tricks, no less than four outfit changes, and even an impromptu game of charades while her crew sorted out some issues with the sound system. In perhaps the most endearing part of the evening, Stirling’s Chihuahua Luna got her own short set to show off her tricks to the crowd - and admittedly, the tiny dog may just give Lindsey a run for her money.
Aside from all the visually stunning material, Stirling’s musical performance was just as show-stopping. She brings a truly unique spin to the world of modern music, inserting what is generally considered to be a traditional and classic instrument into the electrically charged worlds of dance music, dubstep, rock, and more. However, Lindsey made sure to still honor her roots. After her drama-filled originals “The Arena” and “Shatter Me,” the violinist brought us back in time with a solo performance of Bach’s Toaccata and Fugue in D Minor - breaking into a full rock band performance toward the end, proving her claim that “classical music can rock.”
For “The Upside,” Stirling had hosted a contest where she challenged her fans to perform the song on any instrument of their choosing, and she brings one of these winners on stage at each of her shows. Tonight’s guest was Offbeat Bryce, who duetted the song with Stirling on the kazoo to thunderous applause.
Stirling was incredibly open and vulnerable with her audience, sharing a powerful monologue before her song “Crystallize” in which she details the impact of Dr. Masaru Emoto’s water drop study, which found that water developed into beautiful crystal structures when spoken to kindly and positively, and fell into disarray with negative emotions. Stirling compared this lesson to her own life and struggle with an eating disorder, and how learning to speak to herself kindly changed her life - and she challenged the audience to do the same. She then performed the song while attached to an aerial harness, spinning and being lifted into the air without ever missing a beat, leaving the audience truly breathless.
The main set ended shortly after, with Stirling returning to a very eager audience for an encore where she performed “Love Goes On and On” and a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir.” In all honestly, while this article attempts to do justice to Stirling’s performance, she is breaking so many barriers and redefining what it means to be a musician, a performer, and an artist - and the only way to really understand it is to see it for yourself. Thankfully the tour is only just getting started, so you have plenty of opportunities to see her on the road this summer!
Check out the full gallery of Lindsey Stirling below!
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