“We just really like bands and seeing other bands,” Julien Baker told a packed The Middle East on Oct. 23 the last night of her three-day residency. She had a quick confession: The encore would not happen as planned. Have Heart was playing on the upstairs stage at the same time, and Baker and her band hoped to catch a bit of their set. She broke the news kindly — assuring the audience that the extra songs would still be played — but announced that the encore formalities would be skipped and that to maximize her time, she would sprint through a mosaically-parted crowd as the last song ended.

Baker’s set followed an opening by Boston indie rock band Future Teens — with a touch of midwest-Emo — who masterfully energized the audience with their rageful anthems, frequent pauses for storytelling, and the gratitude they expressed for Baker’s band. At the end of the set, Baker joined them after watching from the sidelines for their last song. Before wrapping up, singer Amy Hoffman took a moment to speak about supporting other groups and leaning into the teamlike nature of creating and performing music, setting the tone for an evening that would uphold that principle entirely.

As Baker took the stage, the crowd was alive, eager to hear the singer perform after her last tour — the “Send a Prayer My Way Tour” with co-performer TORRES — was cancelled halfway through for the headliner’s health reasons. Back on a solo tour, Baker came prepared with six unreleased songs, intermingled with tracks from her previous three solo albums.

Standing in front of a handmade brown paper sign with her name on it, Baker opened the show with an unreleased song, titled “Lathe.” This opening choice established Baker’s focus on the intimate world of live music, whisking the audience into a set of raw talent in vocals and instrumentals.

The concert continued through several more unreleased songs focused on Baker’s musicianship. With fans enraptured as they tried to memorize the new songs, there was no scream-singing drowning out the music. Instead, each guitar pluck felt purposeful and Baker’s voice traveled throughout the venue.

Notorious for her guitar chops, she created dynamic riffs that showcased her stellar talent during “Bloodshot.” During this rendition, a mini mosh-pit formed in the crowd. For an evening with an emphasis on the community found within live music, the sudden surge of shared, physical motion was fitting.

Another standout moment was “Ringside,” where Baker’s voice shifted from trembling to intense screams and riffs. She followed with “Favor,” once again employing echoes and pleading delivery that switched the room’s energy. Before “Favor,” Baker spoke about how the songs have changed in their meanings for her over time, crediting the act of live music for catalyzing much of that evolution.

Bakers’ set continued to highlight her guitar work with a series of new songs. The performance of the unreleased songs allowed for an intimate experience inside the venue, with the band guiding the crowd in raising their hands in sync with the lyrics— a collective entry into Baker’s new sonic world.

The dreaded announcement of the absence of an encore came and went, and Baker jumped into the final three songs of the show. As if a second wave of energy hit, each song continued to deliver sharp punches across instruments, vocals, and crowd participation.

During “Turn Out the Lights,” Baker delivered an extended scream as she held the note on “lights,” leaving the audience holding their breath in suspense. With rolling lights flashing on the audience, the band unified the room that formed a strong testament to the live music community the musicians had praised all night.

When the final song, “Everybody Does,” arrived, the crowd was at a fever pitch. Baker realized how loud the crowd was singing along, and paused to take in their collective vocal strength. The song — despite its quintessentially-Baker content matter in questions of identity — was an upbeat number. The night ended in a celebratory manner with the crowd dancing alongside the musicians. As the song faded out, “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” by Dropkick Murphys played while the band geared up to run through the crowd, high-fiving audience members as they went to enjoy a concert for themselves.

Baker’s intention with these multi-night residencies in smaller venues aimed to bring the focus of live music back to the actual music rather than the spectacles of concert, and her final night at The Middle East did exactly that. In an ode to homemade garage shows, Baker returned to her roots of small, intimate shows that serve as showcases of her rare talent in guitar and lyricism, with each choice intentionally pulling the audience’s focus back to the music at hand and the collectivity of live performance.

—Staff writer Sophie M. Houck can be reached at [email protected].