Returning to Herself
Brandi Carlile opens The Human Tour in Philadelphia this week.
Mary McCarthy
I love Brandi Carlile’s music and would be in danger of losing my card-carrying queer status if I didn’t eventually see her live. What better time than her very first arena performance ever, on the same week of her “America the Beautiful” Super Bowl performance, in the birthplace of the nation, the very gay-sloganed “city of brotherly love!”
Fans remember her music from back in the day when she was still a secret West Coast gem – critics raved about her songs etched with real moments, like she’d been inside your head and put a soundtrack to the messy, beautiful parts of life. Over the years she quietly created a patchwork of earned history: Grammy wins, critical acclaim, and a unique sound that wove folk, rock, and Americana together without a need to fit a mold.
But across the years of an artist’s career, you don’t really notice the arc until you’re smack in the middle of the peak. Tuesday night, standing at a packed Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, her arc was beautifully illuminated with a dynamic stage show where her intimate songs once heard on headphones were now echoing around a room full of people who knew every word.
There was a collective energy, almost like we were all witnesses to something that had grown bigger than even Brandi herself thought possible. Throughout the night, she was awed by the crowd, the stage lights and the magnitude of her first arena performance, keeping it “grounded” by taking requests, fun moments with cherished band members who are family to her, and sharing personal stories about her kids, who couldn’t attend her Super Bowl performance Sunday because they were sick.
Seeing her step onto that stage felt like watching someone come into her full power, an artist who’s paid her dues and so well deserved every bit of this moment— but also joyously like a kid at Christmas discovering a gift she really wanted but wasn’t sure would be there under the lights. She said it felt like coming home, and that she’d always remember Philadelphia— she knew starting her tour in this city would give her the most “honest” feedback for her first night. Standing in the arena where the Philadelphia Flyers and 76ers play and next door to where the Philadelphia Eagles play, she’s correct that this is a place where the fandom is nothing if not authentic.
When Carlile sang “America the Beautiful” at Super Bowl LX’s pregame ceremonies on Sunday, it was a truly special moment: the first time an openly queer artist performed one of the opening patriotic songs at the NFL’s pinnacle game. She stood on the field at Levi’s Stadium in front of millions, guitar in hand, delivering a heartfelt, string-accompanied rendition of the song that set the tone for the entire event (where the first queer performer to ever perform at a Super Bowl, Lady Gaga, would perform again). People talked about how Brandi’s voice carried in that space, how she brought the song to life with something that felt both personal and universal.
Although the crowd favorites were her classic songs like “The Story” and hits from her new album Returning to Myself, my most cherished concert moment was her cover of a favorite song by one of my favorite artists, Linda Ronstadt. Her incredibly talented duo SistaStrings, featuring Chauntee Ross (violin/vocals) and Monique Ross (cello/vocals) are the perfect accompaniment for her beautiful rendition of the song “Long Long Time.”
Brandi’s voice has always had that dual power, the ability to feel like it’s singing just to you and at the same time to millions. In Philadelphia she worked the stage with her signature easy confidence, shifting from tender, quiet passages to the big, soaring notes of a rock star that filled every corner of the massive space. The crowd responded with the deep, emotional roar you only get when people feel genuinely seen by the music they came to hear.
All night long felt like a celebration of both her songs and how far she’s come. From those early years on the road playing small, intimate venues, to sharing stages with legends, to her Super Bowl moment only this week, it’s been a humble ascent that has now blossomed. I’m grateful I got to see her first arena show in a place like Philly, a place she said she’ll remember forever because it was her first, a night we’ll replay in our heads later as a true milestone in an artist’s story, and the stories of so many who connect with her music.