It’s not too often you find a co-headlining bill led by all-female vocalists. Co-headliners MisterWives and Bishop Briggs played energetic sets following their opener, Raffaella, at The Anthem recently on their shared show, part of The Don’t Look Down Tour.
The year may not be over yet, but it’s no secret MisterWives has had a busy one. Following the departure of former member Jesse Blum and record label Fueled By Ramen dropping them in 2021, they released their album, Nosebleeds, as a group of five under their own banner, Resilient Little Records.
At The Anthem on Sept. 12, MisterWives’ set blasted through 17 songs across several albums, the majority of them from their July 2023 release, Nosebleeds.
Stream Nosebleeds by MisterWives on Spotify:
The group, originally from New York, is composed of lead singer Mandy Lee, William Hehir on bass and backup vocals, Etienne Bowler on drums and percussion, Marc Campbell on guitar, and Mike Murphy on keyboards and saxophone. Lee brings similar energy that Hayley Williams of Paramore, who is also the lead singer of an otherwise male group, does. (It’s no secret they’ve toured together before). MisterWives’ consistent indie-pop sound met Nosebleeds’ more pop-punk sound, a vibe unlike anything they’d released before.
Both MisterWives and Bishop Briggs’ sets utilized large digital stage pieces with screens displaying various visuals, from lyrics to music video clips synchronized with the songs, photographs, and even at one point Bishop Briggs’ baby.
Bishop Briggs has been on the move for the vast majority of 2023. She joined this tour following a recent win on the FOX singing game show, The Masked Singer as Medusa.
“I hope you don’t look at me differently!” she joked, humbly bragging about her recent win.
As she worked through her discography, Briggs covered Hozier’s “Take Me to Church” and closed with her 2016 hit, “River.” She takes her own lyrics literally, belting “Shut your mouth and run me like a river” while sprinting in place, her signature move she trains for.
Stream top tracks, including “River” by Bishop Briggs on Spotify:
Bishop Briggs repeatedly shared with the crowd how happy she was to be in DC, and it was clear the crowd felt the same.
The evening began with opener Raffaella, who sang a handful of pop songs of girlhood, coming-of-age, sexuality, and coping with drama. Her warm and humble energy got the crowd ready to dance along for the remainder of the night.
It’s as though MisterWives and Bishop Briggs were destined to tour together. Though their sounds are different, they complement each other well and their energies are nearly parallel. Despite it being clear some audience members were there for one artist more than the other, each artist likely ended the night with new fans.
MisterWives Setlist:
Out of Your Mind
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Dagger
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All the Same
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Trigger Pull
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Sideways
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Too Late
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Trip Around The Sun
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SUPERBLOOM
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Flower Moon
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Our Own House
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Ultraviolet
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Other Side
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Silver Lining
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Nosebleeds
Bishop Briggs Setlist
Art of Survival
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Wild Horses
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Cherry on Top
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MY SHINE
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Baby
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JEKYLL & HIDE
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Baggage
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Dream
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TATTOOED ON MY HEART / superhuman
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Reborn
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Hallowed Ground
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White Flag / Hi Lo (Hollow)
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Take Me to Church (Hozier cover)
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Bad
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Revolution
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River
Here are some photos of Raffaella, Bishop Briggs, and then MisterWives performing at The Anthem in DC on Sept. 12, 2023. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Sami Pye.
