Review & Photos: Bishop Briggs, Ellise at Newport Music Hall in Columbus, Ohio

By Neil Shumate, OOTB Publications

Currently on tour supporting her first full-length album release in five years, tell my therapist I’m fine, indie-alt singer-songwriter Bishop Briggs gave a vocally impressive performance with enthusiasm and high energy at Newport Music Hall in Columbus, Ohio last night.

Early on, Briggs mentioned to the packed crowd how difficult it was to pick a setlist for the tour, but ultimately decided on a little bit of new and a little bit of old.

The 20-song setlist focused on her more pop oriented new LP (“Lightning,” “My Serotonin,” “Shut It Off,” “Woman Is King,” “Undone,” “Mona Lisa On A Mattress”), but a large amount of previous cataloged hit songs were performed as well, including: “River,” “Revolution,” “White Flag,” “Wild Horses,” “The Way I Do,” “Hallowed Ground.”

With a wide smile and doses of humor, Briggs often paused between songs to talk to the crowd; at one point praising Columbus as the loudest crowd of the tour so far. Briggs said when touring she always makes sure Columbus is one of the stops. 

Before performing a light hearted acoustic version of “Growing Pains,” Briggs explained she wrote the song when she was nine-months pregnant and the meaning behind the song is that it’s okay to not be happy all the time and it’s okay to feel sad.

The London, England artist—who won 2023 Season 9 of The Masked Singer as Medusa—also performed a brand new song about her husband, which she mentioned was the first love song she has ever written. 

The endurance of the 32-year-old vocalist, whose name is Sarah Grace McLaughlin, was remarkable. Throughout the 90-minute set, she energetically danced, strolled and jumped around across the wide open stage, never seeming to tire and having no need to catch her breath.

Briggs’ vocals shined bright and her live effortless, natural vocal range awed fans as everyone danced and proudly sang along, including aggressive unison claps during “Champion.”

Recovering from a bout with food poisoning, 26-year-old singer-songwriter and actress Ellise opened the show with a lively half-hour set that included lyrically dark pop tunes (“dead2me,” “masochist,” “massacre”) and a crowd pleasing cover of Paramore’s “Decode.”

 

BISHOP BRIGGS (click to enlarge) 

 

 

ELLISE (click to enlarge)