Thunderstorms don't slow Billie Eilish's animated night in Nashville
Matthew Leimkuehler
A thunderstorm wouldn’t dare dampen Billie Eilish's party.
The left-of-pop star who's gained global attention in the blink of an eye brought her sold-out energy to Ascend Amphitheater Friday night, an event that battled a venue evacuation, two-plus hour storm delay and opening act cancellation.
But, the adage is such for a reason — and this show, indeed, went on.
Eilish took the stage shortly after 10 p.m., bouncing to the bass thump of summer 2019 bop "Bad Guy."
Thankful, roaring cheers — from an audience that waited through a storm responsible for 80 mph winds to Middle Tennessee — filled the amphitheater as Eilish quivered the lines "I'm the ba-ah-ah-ah-ad guy ... duh."
"Nashville," Eilish, playing Nashville as part of the yearlong "When We All Fall Asleep" tour, proclaimed, "We made it."
Dedication from Eilish's young and fervent following can't be understated. The Nashville audience didn't just wait out a storm to passively accept 75 minutes on stage from Eilish. Her following dug deep into the moment, screaming each word to "My Strange Addiction" and jumping wildly with Eilish when the elastic chorus to "You Should See Me In A Crown" dropped in.
Donning baggy pants and black hair, the 17-year-old offbeat star offers a strange, welcoming voice for Generation Z. She's equal parts eclectic and transparent in her music, bringing a heart-on-her-sleeve vibrancy that holds intrigue with each track.
And being incredibly catchy helps, too.
Eilish showcased the depths of her downbeat pop throughout the 19-song performance. She shifted with ease from a longing angst with "Wish You Were Gay" to fierce imagery in "All The Good Girls Go To Hell" and soft-spoken openness with 2017 hit "Ocean Eyes."
Behind the stage, a trio of screens pulsed with rhythmic lights and displayed campy, subtly eerie art. In the show's largest set piece, Eilish sat on a bed with her brother and collaborator, Finneas O'Connell, as it lifted the duo above the stage during the acoustic "I Love You."
"(This is) one of my favorites that we ever created," she said. "We wrote it just like this, in my bed at 2 a.m."
The show closed with "When The Party's Over" and "Bury A Friend," back-to-back favorites off her 2019 breakout full-length, "When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?"
"You guys are amazing," she said, thanking her crowd again for waiting out the storm. "I hope you know I've had the time of my life up here.
"I really, really mean it."
Dripping wet with ears ringing, it's a sentiment Eilish likely shares with formative concertgoers headed for the doors, reeling off an unmistakable concert buzz — a feeling well worth the wait.
