Hudson Freeman drew a near-capacity crowd to Encore at Uptown
Hudson Freeman. // photo credit Alex Agueros
Hudson Freeman
with Brian Gerald Bulger
The Encore At Uptown Theater
Wednesday, March 11
With family in attendance and longtime friends on the bill, indie folk artist Hudson Freeman drew a near-capacity crowd to Encore at Uptown Theater for an evening of vulnerable songwriting Wednesday, March 11, in Kansas City.
Following support from Kansas City-based singer-songwriter and college buddy Brian Gerald Bulger, Freeman acknowledged nerves and gratitude toward playing before so many loved ones. The duo met in 2016 at Missouri State University in Springfield, accounting for the homecoming nature of the show.
“Brian is one of my best friends in the world,” Freeman said.
Friends and family only partially explained the crowded room. Freeman’s latest single “If You Know Me,” including a cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Wild Horses,” as its B-side, and last May’s full-length is a Folk Artist powered a swift introduction to a wider audience. Reflecting on guilt, love, and religious trauma was particularly resonant for the standing congregation of more than 200 at Uptown Theater’s side stage and bar, cheering loudest for the newest singles and locking in with minimal chatter during the most intimate acoustic experiences.
Hudson Freeman. // photo credit Alex Agueros
Live translations of Freeman’s signature songs struck a familiar chord. Where recorded versions of “Guilty Running” and “Dean” blend lo-fi, alternative folk leanings with programmed feedback and a digital edge–courtesy of Freeman’s production savvy–live drums and an upright bass slightly limited the intensity of their post-rock leanings. Even his most violent strumming on the crescendo of “Good Faith” sounded closer to Sufjan Stevens than Godspeed You! Black Emperor on the spectrum of Freeman’s cited influences. This somewhat muted tone provided space to ruminate on the lyrics and meaning behind “Mommy Jesus,” a track Freeman noted as a personal favorite in his catalog.
“It doesn’t matter what we think about death, does it?” Freeman sang. “And getting married to Mommy Jesus won’t make you love it.”
On a night characterized by warm gestures, Freeman saved perhaps the sweetest for the encore. Detailing his partner Sophia’s work as a visual artist–she designed the album art for is a Folk Artist–and the support of his career that may not wind up in the liner notes, he dedicated “Whenever You Get Old,” to her before bidding a goodbye as short and sweet as the encore finale.
“There is no Hudson without Sophia,” he said.
Brian Gerald Bulger. // photo by Alex Agueros
Bulger, who released Thank God I’m Far From Heaven and its accompanying memoir in January, was similarly vulnerable in his opening set, demonstrating a sense of humor between songs about grief, love, and spiritual distress. “Are we having a good, sad time?” he asked early into his performance.
Between a selection of his folk-country songs–his style reminiscent of both Jason Isbell and Another Michael–Bulger shouted out supportive brothers in attendance, those from Springfield who visited, and introduced his wife and five year-old to a room that was nearly full about 20 minutes after show time.
Supported by family in the crowd and by his sister-in-law on backing vocals, Bulger’s advanced and confident writing took the spotlight. “Sweeter Than Living Forever,” and Bulger’s insight into its songwriting process, best represented a theme of the night: love for the family you choose.
“When we’re both old and storied, bless her laugh line valleys,” Bulger sang. “She shaped mine, and I shaped hers. A thousand deaths and a thousand births. So much sweeter than living forever.”
All photos by Alex Agueros
Hudson Freeman
Hudson Freeman setlist
Texas in Flaming Tongues
Muscles Are Springs
Dean
Killing Time
Guilty Running
I’m Most Me
Wild Horses
If You Know Me
Deus Ex Machina
Somehow
I-40
Good Faith
Mommy Jesus
—
Kitchen
Whenever You Get Old
Brian Gerald Bulger
