There’s a lot that goes on during a Boygenius show. The group’s three members — Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker — each perform a solo set, then they all take the stage and perform together for the encore. At their tour-closing show in Los Angeles this weekend, they brought yet another indie powerhouse to the stage: During Bridgers’ solo set, The National frontman Matt Berninger joined her to perform a new song, an anthemic ballad called “All I Want.”
Berninger co-wrote the song with composer Steph Altman for the upcoming documentary American Chaos — which covers the time in 2016 prior to that year’s presidential election — and is expected to release a duet recording as a 7-inch single to benefit Planned Parenthood within the next couple weeks.
Meanwhile, when it came time for Boygenius to perform together, they brought a surprise of their own by playing a gentle acoustic cover of The Killers’ 2007 single “Read My Mind,” and their sparse arrangement and harmonized vocals on the chorus made for an intriguing take on the song.
Watch Baker and Berninger perform “All I Want” and Boygenius cover The Killer’s “Read My Mind” above. Also read our interview with Boygenius here, listen to the Celebration Rock podcast episode with Baker here, check out our individual conversations with Bridgers and Dacus, and find to our Celebration Rock interview with Berninger (and The National bandmate Aaron Dessner) here.
