beabadoobee performed at TD Garden on Oct. 3.
beabadoobee performed at TD Garden on Oct. 3. | By Courtesy of TD Garden // Sophie Ayers

beabadoobee Concert Review: Lighting Up TD Garden on ‘The Powerlines Tour’

The setlist moved between eras with a clear logic, anchoring newer songs next to the ones fans already knew by heart.

By Leah Choi, Crimson Staff Writer

beabadoobee brought “The Powerlines Tour” to TD Garden on Oct. 3, featuring Wisp as the opener. The show was the third stop on her first-ever arena run, supporting her fourth album, “Pylon,” released Sept. 18. The record takes its name from the electricity pylons beabadoobee watches pass along the roads between gigs, reminding her of the family and friends she leaves behind while touring. With the set opening on a dark stage, the night transformed that image of distance into a full production.

Wisp took the stage at the beginning of the night, setting the tone for the evening. Her production was a lot darker than what followed in beabadoobee’s set, with moodier lighting and a heavier atmosphere that suited her repertoire. Wisp did a great job holding the crowd, and she kept thanking the audience throughout, which always elicited an enthusiastic response. In a culmination, she took off her shoes and finished with 2023’s “Your face.”

beabadoobee began at 9 p.m. with “Sun Has Set,” the lead single from “Pylon,” and the new album proceeded to shape the evening. 11 of the 28 songs came from “Pylon,” but she spread them among older tracks rather than front-loading them. “10:36” from 2022’s “Beatopia” and “Apple Cider” from 2019’s “Loveworm” followed the opener, then “Radio,” “All I Did Was Dream of You,” “Take a Bite,” and “Care,” which carried the “Fake It Flowers” era into the arena.

The production was flawless from start to finish. Powerlines glowed behind beabadoobee throughout, and the visuals moved with each song. Her dancing and movement synced with the music, which made the set feel carefully produced rather than simply performed. Every shift in the lighting matched the mood of the songs, and the camerawork on the screens flanking the stage followed her motions so closely that even the back of the arena felt like part of the show. Nothing looked accidental: The visuals, the lights, and the live feed all moved as one with the music. Beabadoobee’s outfit fit the world of the concert and the production just as well. She looked like part of the stage design rather than someone performing in front of it.

The middle of the set slowed down. After an acoustic version of “Coffee,” beabadoobee played the title track “Pylon” — just precisely early enough to establish the show’s central image. She followed the track with “Pictures of Us” and “Memories.” “Glue Song” and “The Perfect Pair” came next, creating a run of songs that the crowd loudly sang along to. The setlist moved between eras with a clear logic, anchoring newer songs next to the ones fans already knew by heart.

The title track, “Pylon,” was where the production hit its peak. As the song began, the powerlines behind beabadoobee flashed in time with the music, and the effect was captivating. The lights pulsed and shifted with every change in the song, and the stage looked like the album cover brought to life. It was easily the most visually stunning moment of the night, and it demonstrated how carefully every element had been planned around the record’s central image. Even from far back in the arena, the glowing lines provoked a crowd reaction that proved everyone noticed it.

The encore leaned quiet, and beabadoobee closed the night with “Beaches” from her 2024 album “This Is How Tomorrow Moves.” It was a great way to end her show. After a set built around the “Pylon” era and its image of distance, finishing on an older song let the night come full circle, and the crowd sang along to the last notes. “Beaches” left the arena warm rather than overwhelmed.

In the end, “The Powerlines Tour” was not just a bigger room for beabadoobee — it was proof that her songs hold up at arena scale. The powerlines framing the stage were the album’s own image of connection across distance, and that image held beautifully in Boston.

—Staff writer Leah Choi can be reached at [email protected].

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