Leon Bridges’ soul makes for swooning at the Troubadour

Seraphina Lotkhamnga on
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When Ft. Worth, Texas-based singer-songwriter Leon Bridges announced he would return to L.A. for a post-SXSW show, the word spread like wild fire and tickets sold just as quick if not faster. Tuesday’s sold-out show at the Troubadour was a promoter’s dream-come true for having presented “An Evening with Leon Bridges” and fans were ecstatic to not have to wait through two opening acts. The only con to this intimate evening is that it may have gotten a tad more intimate than desired as fans squeezed themselves into the venue from wall to wall, skin to skin and cell phones on top of cell phones.

None of that, however, mattered when Mr. Bridges took the stage. Looking dapper without appearing like he had to even try, Bridges was flanked by three other musicians on each side. He still seemed a bit timid with the company on stage, but as one listened to him play the guitar or snap his fingers while closing his eyes, it was evident that this humble persona was part of the charm. Raised with Gospel music and heavily influenced by Sam Cooke, Bridges’ demure demeanor and old-school soul arrangements could make anyone swoon more for him than they could crush on that guy who played David Ruffin in the Temptations movie, or the guy who played Kynette in Cool Runnings or that one dude in Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” video. (Yes, they’re all played by the same guy and yes, his name is also Leon!) No, one note out of Bridge’s mouth proved he’s the real deal.

Sure, the clean-cut look help him flesh out an image, but the music surpasses any visual concept here. Songs like “Coming Home” and “Lisa Sawyer” — which he performed much delight to his fans — turn ideas into reality and stories into life. It was refreshingly sapless and free of musical bombast; not even an industry cookie cutter from his label (Columbia) could have formulated the best parts of this performance. Stripped down to the basics, Leon Bridges’ simplicity is what guides his songwriting into a space for accessibility, which too often succumbs to repetitive lyrics and synth lines made for today’s A.D.D. generation. Bridge’s accessibility on the other hand is a result of him melodically laying his soul bare despite his shyness on stage. (When he did speak, he said great things like “Are you ready to get down?” and “I’m about to take you to church.”)

Bridges brought the house down indeed with more songs like “Brown Skinned Girl” and “Better Man.” The intimate crowd, who finally stopped in their tracks and realized any spot in the venue was a great spot, called him back for not one encore (“River”) but for two (“Daisy Mae”).