Phoebe Bridgers with Lomelda at the Turf Club, Saint Paul, MN, 4-20-18

My dream of seeing Phoebe Bridgers headline with her full band finally came true. The "Farewell Tour", made a stop in Saint Paul and the little Turf Club sold out way faster than I anticipated. I tracked down a ticket anyway, showed up at doors opening in the freezing April. I thought I would be able to walk right in, but the doors weren't open yet and I regretted leaving my jacket in the car. I met some new friends in line, and we chatted while the room filled up.

The album cover art was the backdrop they hung up behind the band. A prom-style silver curtain with its title was set up in the back for fans to take photos, with or without the band. The main microphone was strung with fairy lights. I was into the vibe.

Lomelda opened, huddled in a heavy coat. Hailing from Texas, she couldn't believe the show. I sympathized. Her set was synthesizers and an electric guitar -- sad vocals, I recall, but not what she was saying. She had a charming stage presence.

Phoebe and the band played almost the entirety of Stranger in the Alps. They also played "Steamroller", which was released on the Killer single and which I listened to on repeat for weeks when I first discovered it. The band was tight, and even coordinated their outfits, all of them sharp in suits and ties, except Phoebe in her black dress. She even played that sparkly black guitar with a besparkled capo.

Harrison Whitford played electric and slide guitars, and did the male vocals in the "Would You Rather" duet, which Phoebe introduced as being about her brother. She said they had played at his college cafeteria on this tour, and she'd made a point of embarrassing him by telling everyone it was about him. Can't really imagine it was actually embarrassing, but a neat story. I will admit I was momentarily disappointed, since I had been hoping Conor would show up, as he has on so many of these stops.

Motion Sickness was introduced as just "a mean song" rather than being about Ryan Adams, as it so often is. It got the whole crowd moving, and Phoebe's face lit up while singing it. They made really good choices on the production of the album version, and it always seems to land in that perfect spot: a high energy bummer.

The set ended with "You Missed My Heart", for which Phoebe put down the guitar and sat on the floor. Marshall abandoned the drums and came to a microphone in the front to sing backup. He was a highlight all night long.

The encore included a Sheryl Crow cover, "If It Makes You Happy". Phoebe's introduction was about not believing in guilty pleasures, which I appreciated. Some things, you should just let make you happy.

Afterward, the band hung around, and I got to meet Nick White (erstwhile Bright Eyes member and keyboardist extraordinaire in one of my favorite, now-broken-up bands, Tilly and the Wall), Anna Butterss (bassist and Australian, with whom I talked about my upcoming move), and Marshall Vore (we talked about John Prine's new record Tree of Forgiveness briefly). Phoebe was gracious and friendly to her fans, as ever.

I hope the "Farewell Tour" is anything but. It feels like maybe that's the smallest room I'll ever see Phoebe play in. We'll see.