BLEACHERS FOREVER ★ Live at Madison Square Garden! June 2026
Seeing Bleachers perform in New York City is always a singular experience, but there's something especially electrifying about watching them step out of the shadow and right into the heart of the city at Madison Square Garden.
This was the band's second time performing at the legendary venue, following their From the Studio to the Stage show in 2024. I was lucky enough to attend both performances, and even though only a couple of years separate them, it's incredible how every Bleachers tour somehow manages to outdo the one before it. The energy their music exudes is unlike anything else I've experienced live, and they will forever be one of my favorite bands to see in concert. This was my fifth time seeing Bleachers live, from the city, to the shadow, and back again multiple times - truly some of my favorite concert experiences in my life have happened at their shows.
So much of Bleachers' music feels deeply rooted in New York itself, so getting to see them live there is always guaranteed to be something so special. The Bleachers Forever Tour is in support of the band's latest album, everyone for ten minutes, released earlier this year. In many ways, the record feels like a return to form for the band, with songs that were specifically created to thrive in a live setting. It feels deeply linked to Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night in that way, which is another record that completely takes on a whole new life when performed in front of a live audience.
Madison Square Garden has always been my favorite venue to see a concert. I've been fortunate enough to watch so many of my favorite artists perform there over the years, and anyone who has attended a show at MSG knows there's a certain kind of magic that fills the room. This night was especially cool for me because it was the very first time I was ever on the floor for a show at MSG, so it was very surreal to have a different viewpoint of the venue I have now been to countless times through the years.
I hope the photos I took were able to capture even a fraction of the joy that radiated from the stage all night long. The entire band had the biggest smiles the whole show, it was so clear how much they loved being there. That energy spread through the entire arena! The entire setlist was stacked with back to back incredible songs, some of which have been core staples for all of their shows, but many I have never heard live before which was especially exciting.
Also, not enough can be said about how incredibly kind Bleachers people are. From talking with others outside in line before the show and getting to know the two people seated next to me ended up being some of the highlights of the night. The community surrounding this band is a huge part of what makes these shows feel so different from any other concert experience. The audience reflects the same warmth and sincerity that runs through the band's music in a way that is so special to be a part of in some small way. Getting to connect with people in person over our shared love of music will always be one of my favorite parts of attending concerts, and I'm so grateful for the incredible experiences I've had doing exactly that over the past year.
Bleachers always really knows how to nail the opening for their albums and tours. Continuing the tradition that they usually coincide, "sideways" was the incredible opener for the show, just as it is on everyone for ten minutes. There is a grand, emotional response that this song always evokes, and it truly set the tone for the rest of the night. I also love how the preshow playlist ended with "My Way" by Frank Sinatra, only to be connected back to on "sideways," with one of the core opening lyrics being, "You did it your way". That was such a cool connection to realize right as the show started, and I loved that little full-circle moment.
Just like the album, the show's setlist then moved right into "the van", which truly is the anthem for the journey of Bleachers and Jack's career thus far. It is so self-referential in a way that feels truly so special to celebrate in a space like that, surrounded by thousands of people who have followed that journey alongside him. Screaming "glory to the ones who know the van" with 20,000 other people is exactly the way this song was meant to be heard, with the emotional journey he took to get there reaching its fullest expression. The same goes for the progression of the line, "He just didn't wanna be lonely," to "We just didn't wanna be lonely," and finally, "I just didn't wanna be lonely." Above all, "the van" captures why Bleachers' music is so important, and why the pieces of themselves that so many people have found in these records through the years matter so deeply. Getting to hear this song live for the first time was among the many highlights of the night.
The next few songs they performed are absolutely staples of every Bleachers show, and probably will be forever. "Modern Girl" is the quintessential Bleachers song in so many ways, capturing the essence of who they are and what they stand for, especially when it comes to channeling the restless, feral energy of their music in a live setting. "Jesus Is Dead" fills a similar space, particularly in the way Jack was able to distill the feeling of the East Coast into a single song - a distinct talent he has showcased time and time again. That has always felt like the ethos of his songwriting as a whole, but perhaps nowhere more clearly than on that track. A massive Bleachers Forever banner also dropped right at the end of the song, which made for such a cool surprise moment.
The run from "Wild Heart" to "Everybody Lost Somebody" to "Goodmorning" was so incredibly special and transcendent as well. They're three of my favorite Bleachers songs ever from their first two records, and whenever I hear them, I'm reminded of all the other incredible times I've gotten to experience them live in the past and the indescribable feeling that comes with my connection to those songs in particular. Strange Desire and Gone Now are two albums that will forever mean so much to me for so many reasons.
I always think back to the first time I got to hear "Everybody Lost Somebody" live at Radio City in 2022, and the whole new meaning that song had taken on for so many of us given the collective heartache and uncertainty that the world was continually moving through at the time. Now that it's approaching ten years since I first heard that song, it has come to mean even more to me with every passing year.
Much like "the van", "dirty wedding dress" similarly captures that diaristic style of storytelling and depicts everything that Bleachers stands for in so many ways. The main mantra of this era is "only my people can see me", which feels deeply embedded in the song's DNA and in the community that has formed around this music over the years. Again, getting to scream that line with thousands of other people at MSG was so cathartic and felt exactly like the intention behind why that song was written. To be surrounded by others that fully get it is just so special, and a feeling that is impossible to really put into words.
"we should talk" was also so much fun to hear live for the first time. It remains one of my favorites from the new album, and I love the way they incorporated a bit of choreography into the performance, which was such a cute touch and really brought the song to life onstage.
"Chinatown" and "Don't Go Dark" have always gone in tandem for me. Maybe it's the undeniable and intrinsic Bruce Springsteen influence embedded within both, or maybe it's because the sentiment behind those two songs feels so deeply intertwined, but they have always held a special place in my heart. Getting to hear them live, especially back to back, is always a massive highlight. Not to mention, they are clearly crowd favorites every single time, too. It truly takes the sadness out of every Saturday night for me... or in this case, Tuesday night!
Another new addition to the setlist is the everyone for ten minutes lead single, "you and forever", which was one of the most joyous moments of the show and, in a way, really does feel linked to the two songs performed prior. It is also so romantic, with one of my favorite lyrics Jack has ever written being, "I have never known my name until you spoke it from your chest".
The midpoint of the show brought some of the most intimate songs of the set. Sung acoustically with very sparse instrumentation, Jack performed "91", which is a song that means so much to me and is one that I think about all the time. It really represents a very specific point in my life and has so many memories tied to it. It's hard to even articulate how much that song brings me back to the time I first heard it, and also the ways in which its message has evolved alongside me over the years. For a song that carries such a grand sense of scale on the studio recording, with its sweeping orchestral feel, hearing it stripped down in this way brings such a different tone to it.
"Isimo" was also so beautiful and intimate to hear live for the first time. They didn't perform it at either of the two shows I attended on the From The Studio To The Stage Tour in 2024, and it was one of the songs I was most hoping to hear at MSG. The chorus especially is just so stunning and emotional that it gives me chills every single time I hear it, and hearing it performed in a space like that amplified all of these feelings even more.
To close out the acoustic portion of the set, Jack performed one of my all-time favorite Bleachers songs, "Merry Christmas, Please Don't Call". I was so excited to see it on the setlist and that they've been performing it in the heat of summer, well beyond the traditional confines of holiday music; because truthfully, it was always so much more than just a Christmas song. That's simply the framework it is built around, while the emotions at the center of it reach far beyond a single season. The way the crowd screamed every single word was again so cathartic in all of the best ways and absolutely one of my favorite moments of any Bleachers show I have ever gone to before.
The last stretch of the show brought even more non-stop energy to the set. "take you out tonight" is such a wild and eclectic song on the recorded version, all of which is only further amplified when it's performed live. Jack always sings it with such an innate sense of urgency in his voice, which is impossible not to get swept up in. It's a song about choosing joy and connection in the face of everything else, and the act of pushing back against all the outside noise.
It connects so perfectly and symbolically into the following song, "How Dare You Want More", which is also a longtime staple of their live shows and another prime example of why everyone for ten minutes and Take The Sadness Out of Saturday Night feel like sister albums to me in so many ways. The sax solos are also insane on this song, but the entire band is just so beyond incredible the entire show.
"Rollercoaster" is such a classic to hear live and will always remain one of the defining songs that Bleachers performs at every show. The hum of the Juno-6 is the best, and the way it slowly builds throughout Jack's intro gives me chills every single time. That song evokes some of the wildest, most unrestrained fun of any song they perform live, though there are certainly quite a few contenders on their setlists these days. "Tiny Moves" is also such a fun song that brings such a lightness and pure sense of joy to the show. Again, it is so evident every time they perform this that it is a major crowd favorite.
Every single show really feels like it builds toward one of my all-time favorites, and the song that made me fall in love with Bleachers in the first place - "Don't Take The Money". The ground was shaking throughout so much of the night, but it felt especially strong during this one. This song encapsulates how special live music is and what an honor it is to experience it in a setting like this. "Don't Take The Money" has shaped me in so many ways throughout the past nearly ten years. I am always so deeply moved every time I get to hear it performed live, and it remains one of the many highlights of every Bleachers show I've gone to. No matter how many times I hear it, that feeling never changes.
The final three songs were an absolutely amazing way to close out the night. "upstairs at els" undoubtedly holds so much sentimentality for so many reasons - but ultimately it represents fully what Bleachers is all about - celebrating the moments and places and people that make up the tapestry of your life, and the music that has soundtracked all of our days. It is written about Electric Lady Studios in New York City, where Jack famously records so much of his music at and is such an integral figure in expanding the legacy of the historic place in music history. It's told in such a slice-of-life style, singing about hanging out on the roof with a whole cast of characters (many of which you'll recognize in the Bleachers-verse) at a party - the spirit of the city and the magic of that studio permeates through all of the music he's made there.
Jack has worked on countless of my favorite albums over the years, he is truly my favorite pop music hoarder for so many reasons and it cannot be overstated how much his music has impacted my life. As someone who was upstairs at els myself, this song brings back so many amazing memories of that day, and of all the music made there that has soundtracked so much of my own life with all of the incredible artists he's worked with. It was the most incredible experience getting to be there five years ago, and every time I hear this song I think back on that day with the most amazing memories. He brought it all to life onstage in such a beautiful way, honoring the legacy and influence that space has had on his work. Even the stage design reflects it, recreating parts of the studio right down to the layout of the room and the iconic triptych hanging on the wall.
Throughout this post, I've highlighted many different lyrics that have stayed with me over the years, but the repeated refrain of "you're not at it alone" might be the one that means the most. It perfectly captures the heart of what Bleachers represents to me and to so many others. There is such a powerful communal feeling embedded within this music, one that reminds us that none of us are moving through life by ourselves. This music creates so much space for joy, connection, and the hope that it can all get better. Especially when experiencing these feelings in a room surrounded by thousands of other people, it becomes so clear just how deeply connected the band and the audience are through our shared experiences and understanding. It's a feeling that is so difficult to put into words, yet feels completely undeniable in those moments.
More than anything, that's what Bleachers has always meant to me. It's the reminder that music can bring people together, help us carry one another through difficult times, and encourage us to take that sense of community back out into the world with us. Leaving Madison Square Garden that night, I felt immensely grateful to have experienced that feeling once again. And as always, I left reminded that, no matter what, we're not at it alone.
"I Wanna Get Better" really captures that exact notion as well. It will forever be one of the most special songs to me for many of the same reasons as "upstairs at els", along with it truly being the reason for absolutely everything that came after it. Again, this is a song that captures so much of why I love Bleachers in the first place and why their music continues to greatly impact my life.
The final song of the night was their classic closing track of the last few tours: "Stop Making This Hurt". It was such a powerful conclusion to a night that had already delivered the highest energy and sense of joy. The emotions at the center of the song feel even larger when viewed through the greater context of the world around us, especially given the political and social landscape surrounding its release and, in many ways, the uncertainties that continue to define the present moment. "If we take the sadness out of Saturday night, I wonder what will be left, anything worth the fight?" will always remain one of the defining lyrics in the band's entire discography. What begins as a deeply personal search for hope expands into something much larger, with a collective hope that we all need to hold onto in order to keep moving forward through uncertain times - which is a message that is somehow more pertinent now than it even was five years ago when it was released.
The way the crowd reacts in real time to a song like this is a reminder of the communal release that live music can provide, especially as we all take the sadness out of the metaphorical Saturday night together. We all said goodbye like we meant it that night, and I've been thinking about the feelings I was left with ever since. It was an unforgettable night in a city that means so much to me, spent with a band whose music has shaped so much of who I am. 🍅
Thanks for reading! I have written extensively about Bleachers' music through the years, all of which are linked here and below. Be sure to check out my full review of their latest album everyone for ten minutes and my experience going to the special Bleachers x UMusic pop up shop earlier that day - more coming soon, always! Bleachers forever and ever!! 🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅
All photos are my own!
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Bleachers Live at Madison Square Garden! // October 2024
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