Mitski: The Woman You Are

There are so many things that can be written about Mitski’s innate ability to create art, and yet so little at the same time. Mitski captured the hearts of everyone in the audience, taking them through various different stories and worlds with her impactful songwriting abilities and theatrical performance. 

In terms of the overall initial experience, the Greek Theatre was absolutely packed with people excited to see one of their favorite singers, yet not in the way one would expect. Mitski’s audience members–while extremely excited–were very respectful, and spent the majority of her concert sitting, waving their phones around with flash, and cheering loudly after the end of each song. It was the type of concert that left an individual feeling refreshed as opposed to feeling exhausted. Wyatt Flores (Mitski’s opener for the show) was amazing, and his unique blend of American-Mexican country music reflected his ability to interplay his two cultural backgrounds by formulating a passion project: his music. Flores offered his gratitude for being able to open for Mitski’s Greek Theatre performance, and thanked the audience for their support as he and his band left the stage.

One of my favorite parts of the concert in the Greek Theatre was Mitski’s description of the audience as her friends. She spoke to us like it was a casual conversation, sharing her love for dogs along with her ability to recall different dog breeds in a very passionate and engaging way. Something Mitski greatly excelled in was how she was unapologetically herself, so much so that she pointed out how people must be so bored of her stories, then followed up by saying that she does not care and will continue to speak about her passions. From this initial impression of Mitski’s character, one could very much feel the authenticity of her character, and how much she deeply wishes to share connections with her fans. 

Mitski is the kind of artist who transforms a concert into a theatrical performance, where every song is part of a larger narrative. She fluidly transitions between her tracks, never pausing, dancing uniquely to each one in a way that evokes a fresh yet interconnected story. It was astounding how she kept her vocals flawless and steady, entirely her own without any noticeable background support, while dancing full out to every song. Her physical expressions—whether through movement or facial emotion—were haunting, leaving a lasting impression long after the performance. Every gesture felt intentional, as if each moment is part of a profound journey that she pulls you into completely. 

Photos by Aidan Somaini

Throughout her showcase, she manipulated the stage lights often and used objects such as the spotlight and chairs to enunciate her storytelling abilities throughout her music. One of the most compelling examples of this was during the song “Heaven,” in which she spent the first half of the song gazing upon this brilliant small spotlight on stage prior to “touching” the light with both hands, as if trying to hold it, ending by stepping into the light and allowing it to cover her before she fell to the floor. These dramatic and powerful moments in her artwork illustrate how she is as a performer. This offered a more intimate glimpse in her work, allowing the audience to interpret for themselves what it was Mitski was trying to convey. It was beautiful, and felt like a story embedded within each line of this song. The manipulation of the spotlight during this performance seemingly illustrated Mitski’s innate storytelling abilities. 

She and her incredible band left many concert-goers emotionally wrecked and incredibly inspired. One of the first things she told the audience prior to her last song was that it is good when things end, because it allows individuals to appreciate the moment more. She then goes on to describe death as a good example, prodding at her humor while also proving her point. Good things end, and we have to be okay with it because it lets us remember these moments more. Overall, Mitski is a woman of many talents. Love is inhospitable land, binding us together but also bringing us apart, yet we love anyway. She is a world-class dancer, singer, songwriter, entertainer, and more importantly: storyteller. Mitski, the woman you are.

Article by Erica Samantha Malilay

Photos by Aidan Somaini