Story and Photos: Haley Mullenix
Saturday (9/30) Bishop Briggs and Misterwives brought the “Don’t Look Down Tour” to Grinders here in Kansas City! Joining them on this stop was Natalie Jane. The night was perfect for an outdoor show and as the sun went down the mulch covered ground filled up fast with all the excited fans.
Natalie Jane came out with a powerful voice, which I soon realized was a theme throughout the night as every artist was an immensely talented performer. Natalie who is just 19 made her debut on American Idol at 15! Her latest single “Do or Die” came out this past August, so be sure to check it out as well as her other music!
Natalie Jane Gallery
The first headliner of the night was Bishop Briggs. The London born singer got her start when she was discovered in a small venue in Los Angeles. The songs you may recognize from her are “Wild Horses” or “River”, the latter of which was pretty popular on Tiktok and gained over 680 million streams! If you’re a fan of “The Masked Singer” you might’ve seen her there too.
Bishop started her set by coming out on top of the large riser in the center of the stage which displayed footage of her in the desert. She came out on stage with an incredibly infectious energy, bouncing and running from each side of the stage with a huge smile on her face. It was apparent she was just as excited to be there as the audience! Thanking the crowd after every song, they gave it their all jumping and singing along. Towards the end of her set she sat down for an acoustic song showcasing her incredible range. The crowd couldn’t seem to help but watch in awe holding up their phones to light up the night.
In contrast, her latest release is “When Everything Went Dark”. This six song EP which came out this past June touches on Bishop’s mental health journey, and different themes throughout life such as loss, fear, and trauma. If you’re looking for a great performer with a lot of heart Bishop Briggs is a great artist to check out.
Bishop Briggs Gallery
Finally, to end the night Misterwives made their way to the stage. Similar to Bishop Briggs, lead singer Mandy Lee made her appearance at the top of the center riser but this time the video walls displayed ones and zeros in a matrix-esque fashion. The New York based band has had a bit of a journey with their sound ranging from dance-pop, to folk, and now with their fourth and latest album Nosebleeds, an “edgier, post-punk sound” as they would describe it.
The band which started strangely enough as an 80s cover band for Mandy’s birthday back in 2012, have had quite the adventure together. From touring with bands like Twenty One Pilots, and Panic at the Disco, to playing huge festivals like Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits. The band now consists of William Hehir on bass, Marc Campbell on guitar, Etienne Bowler on drums, and Mike Murphy on the keys and saxophone.
Their performance together was so fun to watch, especially seeing how they interacted and riffed off each other’s energy! As the set began to come to a close Mandy came off the stage and ran to the barricade interacting with and hugging fans all of which including herself had the biggest smiles on their faces! Overall it was a night filled with immense talent and obvious gratitude from each artist. The “Don’t Look Down Tour” only has a handful of stops left, so if you can’t make this tour make sure to follow along with them to know when they’ll hit the road next!
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Misterwives Gallery
