Got to give credit to Leon Bridges’ people. His message is –– like his coiffure –– on point.
For about a year now, we’ve been watching the young soul sensation knock ’em dead on huge stages and have been reading about his many-splendored successes. It’s all like watching Cinderella in slow motion. You also kind of get the feeling that if you don’t cheer for the Fort Worth cat that every local muso and scenester knows simply as “Leon,” you’re either a spoilsport or heartless bastard.
It’s true. There’s nothing not to like.
But his people need to slow their roll a little. Otherwise, the message is liable to turn into an SNL parody. I’m thinking of something like “I walked uphill to school both ways when I was a kid!”
Bridges has every right to be proud of his hard-knock life’s story, and knowing him personally albeit professionally, I know that, good Christian man that he is, he wants his redemptive, rags-to-riches tale to be told only to empower other folks. The ever-present danger is over-exposure.
For reasons that may seem all too obvious to you, dear reader, but that are still murky to me, I’m reminded of that brief period of time, long, long ago, when making fun of or talking bad about President Obama seemed sacrilegious. Yeah, what’s happening with Bridges is kind of like that. The pendulum quickly swung the other way on the president, and it swung hard. Bridges, simply an artist, simply an entertainer, deserves a better fate. (Well, we all sort of do.)
But this is just one man complaining about what may prove to be merely an aside in the story that Bridges is writing. I hope so.
Leon Bridges is coming home this week. Momentarily, of course. In addition to peddling his life story, his people have had him performing nearly nonstop, all over creation, for over a year straight. Dude must be tired af. At Shipping & Receiving Bar on Wednesday, Bridges will play a stripped-down set after a screening of This Is Home. Based on a 90-second trailer of the mini-biopic directed by award-winning photographer Danny Church, Bridges’ message remains –– like his coiffure, like his duds, like his sound –– on point.
Proceeds from the $25 cost of admission will go toward the Texas Council on Family Violence, a North Texas nonprofit that “promotes safe and healthy relationships by supporting service providers, facilitating strategic prevention efforts, and creating opportunities for freedom from domestic violence.”
9pm Friday, Bridges performs right up the road, at WinStar World Casino & Resort. Tickets are $59-95.
Best of luck, Leon. Hope you find a place to rest your weary head soon. You’ve earned a damn break.
Contact HearSay at hearsay@fwweekly.com.
