10.22.24 – Photos by Kassidy Paige / Review by Danielle Linneweber

Leon Bridges brought some Texas heat to The Armory in Minneapolis on October 22, playing to a packed house for ‘The Leon Tour.’

Hermanos Gutiérrez opened the show with a forty five minute set that took the crowd on a quiet and contemplative instrumental journey. It was the perfect soundtrack for a late night drive down a dark desert highway. Bathed in red light, brothers Estevan and Alejandro sat on stage and invited the huge crowd into their intimate jam session. These talented musicians have released six albums since 2017. Their latest, Sonido Cosmico, produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, was released in June. Auerbach also worked with them on El Bueno y El Malo in 2022. 

Their set highlighted a wide range of influences, from spaghetti western soundtracks to Peruvian cumbia. They sat in low-slung chairs for the entire set surrounded by several instruments. The two of them played various guitars with Alejandro focusing more heavily on the lap steel and Estevan occasionally tapping away at mini bongos. Their lush sonic journey took us through various landscapes, including Mexico (“Hijos Del Sol”) and the desert Southwest. They wanted to take a new approach with their latest album and focus on the cosmos. The title track from the album took us on a voyage across the universe with its chill, psychedelic vibe. 

The crowd around me at the front of the stage was quiet and transfixed during the trippy, eclectic set, but the other six thousand people in the venue were busy catching up with their pals, creating a loud din over the living room jam session onstage. For people who dig Hermanos Gutiérrez, a more intimate venue like The Dakota would be the best way to see them and truly soak it all in. Their laid back, bohemian set made sense as a lead-in for Leon Bridges and his easygoing Texas vibe. 

Bridges strutted onstage with his usual stylish flair, sporting sunglasses, bell bottoms, white cowboy boots and a yellow suede jacket with fringe that jumped off him when he spun around. Few men could pull off that getup, but Bridges oozes sex appeal and swagger in both his style and sound. The stage had its own stripped down sexiness, as it was ringed with slinky silver-chained curtains that framed him and his seven-piece band. They took us on our second sonic journey of the night – this time through Texas.

It’s been two years since Bridges last visited The Armory with his smooth blend of soul and funk and the crowd was ready to get down. But we had to wait a few minutes longer to let loose. The band kicked things off with “When a Man Cries” from the new self-titled album, Leon, which was released this month. It’s an emotional track that John Mayer shares a writing credit on, and it highlights how difficult it is for men to be vulnerable and express their emotions. He followed that with the easy, breezy “Panther City,” also from the new album, that took us on a walk with him down memory lane on a perfect summer day in Fort Worth. In this sweet homage to his childhood, we meet several characters from his neighborhood and hear him reminisce about his first love. It’s a summertime bop.

“Better Man” came next from Bridges’ debut album, Coming Home. It’s his signature, modern take on the Motown sound and it was the first of several opportunities for the crowd to doo-wop their way through the chorus. All that was missing was a crew of old school backup singers shimmying to and fro on stage. Bridges obviously knows how to get everyone into the groove, and songs like “You Don’t Know” and “If It Feels Good” were exactly what the crowd needed to loosen up. “Bad Bad News” brought the slinky jazz vibe that makes you feel like you’re in a modern version of a smoky jazz club – but with seven thousand people. 

But let’s be real. Most of us were there to swoon over Bridges and his sexy love songs. The majority of the crowd was comprised of women and couples on a date night because he has a knack for making you feel some kind of way. I’m scared to death of riding on motorcycles, but listening to him sing “Motorbike” has me convinced that the next guy I date should probably have one. Bridges made it sound so carefree and seductive to be on the back of his bike. 

After he got every woman’s heart pounding with that track, he sent us further over the edge with the sensual “Laredo,” where he asks a new lover if he should stay in town for just one more night. (The answer is always yes if Leon Bridges asks.) As soon as the song ended, the lady next to me declared it “baby-making music.” To be clear: His entire catalog is baby-making music. 

I declared myself pregnant by immaculate conception after he performed “Texas Sun,” a strumming ballad that took us on a roadtrip with him and his lover from Fort Worth to Amarillo. Bridges paints such romantic pictures of Texas through his lyrics that his music should be used by the tourism board to recruit single women to visit the state and ride off into the sunset with a cowboy. “Steam,” a pulsating makeout anthem, had all of the single people in the venue contemplating whether or not they should drunk text their ex after the show. 

After all of that dancing and sinning, Bridges had to take us to church. And it was glorious. “God Loves Everyone” off Leon should be a required hymn at every Bible school from now until eternity. It’s a sparse and aching ballad that simply highlights all of the people that God loves, i.e., “everyone under the sun.” He followed that with “River” from his debut album. It’s a staple of his live show. The chill-inducing chorus is powerfully quiet, forcing the crowd to sing along in hushed tones. You could almost hear everyone contemplating their religious beliefs while he sang of going to the river to wash away his sins. Lord, have mercy. 

Overall, the band focused heavily on the new album, covering nine of the thirteen tracks from Leon. For the encore, Bridges removed his sunglasses for the first time all night and sang “Lisa Sawyer” on acoustic guitar. He concluded the show with “Beyond,” a ballad that will likely be featured on countless wedding playlists for the couples who were in attendance and possibly led to more engagements after the show. 

Leon Bridges never seemed to break a sweat during the ninety minute set, despite wearing that heavy suede jacket. That’s how effortlessly cool he is. The crowd, however, was left feeling hot and bothered, in the best possible way. (Or was that just me?)