Fans of Phoebe Bridgers Cite 'Collective Catharsis'

Talking to Strangers (About Music)

What makes us love a musician? The connection with a performer and their music is not unlike other loves probably, a slightly inexplicable alchemy that hits us hard, right off the bat.
Seeing a long line of people waiting mid-morning for the best seats for the Phoebe Bridgers benefit concert in Prospect Park last week, I was curious: why do these folks love her so much they’d wait all day in the hot sun to get as close as possible?
So I asked. I’d never even heard of the 27-year-old indie phenom til the night before, when my husband couldn’t find parking because of her first night’s show in the park two blocks from our apartment. But these young women—(left to right Annecy, Gaby and Tatiana)—were the first three in line, and they very articulately expressed what drew them to the artist. It was heartfelt, and touching.
Ms. Bridgers’ music allowed them to safely feel their own feelings, to feel that someone could relate to their own experience, they said. ‘Sadness’ was mentioned by all. That she somehow helped them feel into that and come out of it, or at least feel less alone in it.
“It’s like a collective catharsis,” Tatiana said, and I cheered, inwardly and outwardly. Yes! What a beautiful thing. I love talking to strangers about this amazing powerful phenomenon! Thank you Phoebe Bridgers for your incredible support of these young people, offering them a way to feel less alone in their lives.