On Friday night at the historic theatre of Le Trianon in Paris, Mitski played the finale of her short six-show run of the Amateur Mistake: A Night Of Intimate, Acoustic Performance tour in celebration of her latest album This Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We.
The Bristol-based indie opening act Trust Fund consists of founder Ellis Jones, who has been touring with rotating members since the start of his project. Jones plays the guitar and sings folky, almost troubadour-esque songs with the help of his bandmate on the keyboard and backing vocals. They have previously opened shows for Frankie Cosmos and Los Campesinos, and have a few headline shows in the UK in December.
Discover their music here: https://trustfund.fun/
Mitski then performed the entirety of her new album and finished off with a few older fan favorites. Calling this show intimate would be an understatement—backed by only two band members playing the acoustic guitar and upright bass, Mitski’s voice was on full, unfiltered display for everyone lucky enough to be in the room.
French fans are famous for being loud and rowdy; however, they were almost too afraid even to whisper during the new songs. You could not hear a peep except a few sniffles here and there. If anyone doubted Mitski’s ability to perform live, it was immediately gone by the end of her first song, “Bug Like An Angel.” She doesn’t belt loudly; she is almost softly telling stories, yet her voice is still an absolute powerhouse that sounds identical, if not better, to her studio recordings. With just one bass note playing, she doesn’t need anything to compliment her voice besides herself.
Mitski is a revered visual performer. Being on a small stage with no production, set design, or stage clothes, her inner performer scratched to get out, and her body movements passionately illustrated her songs.
After finishing the entirety of This Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We, she explicitly permitted the crowd to sing along with her and began singing one of her most acclaimed and recognizable songs, “Francis Forever.” With this, the collective trance was broken; the energy and screams flew into the room, with everyone singing loudest for “I Bet On Losing Dogs and A Pearl.” As for the encore, she returned to the stage solo with her guitar and softly performed the evening’s last song, “A Burning Hill,” heartily thanked us all and left.
Mitski is going on tour in 2024, and nearly all the dates have already sold out. I strongly urge anyone who can catch one of her shows to do so. You will leave the venue a more healed version of yourself.
View a gallery of photos from Trust Fund’s set here.