Show & Tell: Leon Bridges
Leon is for lovers
The Crooner & The Cowboy Tour
Opener: Charley Crockett
Venue: Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA - June 5, 2025
Vibe Check: 🍕
Mic Check: 🍄
“God Loves Everyone”
Leon Bridges plays a huge role in my love story.
I’ll share the details of his involvement another day. For now, know that the love he captures and inspires in his music is palpable. His storytelling isn’t limited to the woes and power of romantic love; he captures the wholeness and freedom felt only by higher beings, family, and love of self.
It’s clear in his performance and the energy around him that he is surrounded by love of his chosen and blood families and finds joy in his sharing his gifts with the world.
The Hollywood Bowl is a magical place to watch music. It’s an open-air theater close enough to the bustle of the Walk of Fame but high and separate enough to lose yourself in the beauty of the Hollywood Hills its nestled in. The Bowl, with its storied musical history, recreates the buzzy energy of a graduation or awards ceremony. Typically viewed as an honor to perform there, I have the privilege of watching artists soak in the moment and perform like they damn well deserve to be there and may never get the opportunity again.
Both Leon and his opener Charley Crockett have performed at the Bowl once before in support of a Willie Nelson birthday concert held in 2023. I had a parasocial sense of pride seeing them both achieve a level of acclaim allowing them to perform solo.
Texas Forever
Charley & Leon, both proud Texans, brought a broad range of attendees and country & soul influences to their live performances.
Charley’s sound, influenced by honky tonk, traditional country, and Louisiana soul, reminded me of all the fun times I had in college sloppily listening to the
Charley’s “outlaw” style of music and performance make room for hilarious and colorful lyrics about the open road and lost money. He performs with the ease and fun I’d expect for honky tonk: aiming his guitar neck at the audience like a gun and showing off his impressive footwork.
His songs have clear influences from across the Bible belt what with his band’s use of organs, trumpets, and some skanky sounds warranting a 2/4 clap instead of country’s typical 1/3. Charley has got the funk and the experience to play through a broken guitar string and a bangin’ cover of “Jukebox Mama” by Link Wray
🤠
Leon’s performance was technically tight with his vocals coming in powerfully and clear over his band. His performance style isn’t rowdy or loud (his albums are typically suited for quiet romantic evenings) and he’s not a powerhouse vocalist. His quiet power demands attention and focus—or else you might miss a subtle and beautiful run in his vocals.
Leon’s church influences, use of group harmonies, and the (ever-increasing) use of the pedal steel guitar left me feeling emotionally nourished. Singing “River” and “Ain’t Got Nothin’ On You” underneath the moonlight in a cool breeze with thousands of people and your love does something to the spirit.
Throughout his set, tightly-spaced bench seating be damned, couples across the Bowl were stood swaying and singing together. Some were so moved to find their way to the aisles to soak in the romance.
For the non-lovers in the crowd, they were most excited to hear Leon’s top hits including “Texas Sun” from his 2020 release with Khruangbin, inspiring one of the loudest cheers of the night.
If, with everyone going on today, you need your spirit to be refueled and to be reminded that there is good in the world, make your way to see Leon Bridges live.
Ch-check One-Two
Special shoutout to Charley’s band member Kullen Fox for making my jaw drop by playing the organ and the trumpet at the same time & Leon’s guitarist/percussionist Emily Elbert for playing some of the stankiest guitar with a straight face and killin’ it!
