Captures by Steve Cerf
Words by Erin Hunter
It’s hard to be timely and even harder to be timeless, but Brigette Calls Me Baby is on its way to achieving both.
At The Lounge at the World Cafe in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Brigitte Calls Me Baby performs a sold-out show while on the East Coast/Midwest leg of their national tour. Philadelphia-based Alternative/Indie band, Tisbury’s, opened the show, performing their local hit Garden, which has been featured on WXPN Radio.
When Brigitte Calls Me Baby performs, frontman Wes Leavins sings, he teeters around amplifier chords, microphone stands, and fellow bandmates, stopping to fold forward and push out the next note– deep and emotional and full of vibrato– rising as the note reaches a dramatic crescendo reminiscent of Roy Orbison, Elvis, and Orville Peck.
Newly signed to ATO Records, Brigitte Calls Me Baby is set to release their freshman album, This House is Made of Corners, in 2024, according to their Spotify. Their music is timely because it is timeless, as it recalls early rock and roll and the sounds of Americana Rock, Indie, and Post-Punk Revival. This is apparent in the band’s recent hit ballad, ‘Eddie My Love,’ which balances an upbeat rhythm with lyrics about heartache and Leavens’ angsty, emotional voice.
Their music connects audiences of all generations. I see 2 middle-aged women in the crowd close their eyes and move their hands like tree branches while a guy screams the spontaneous “You guys rock!” An older gentleman vigorously shakes his head and films bassist Devin Wessels, who moves closer to the fan’s camera for a generous close-up shot, while I (a Gen Z’er) sway my hips side-to-side and feel nostalgic about a time during which I wasn’t even alive.
When I decided to come to the concert, I only knew 2 of their songs, but I came away liking the entire setlist. Brigitte Calls Me Baby understands that going forward may mean looking back at the music that has shaped all of us over the generations.
Tisbury’s
