Review | An Entrancing Evening with Leon Bridges at the Santa Barbara Bowl

Wednesday night’s penultimate Bowl season show was my first encounter with Leon Bridges, despite the neo-soul stylist’s many stops in Santa Barbara since his first visit to Arlington in 2016. The Atlanta-born, Texas-raised crooner definitely has some of Detroit’s Motown in his soul too, as seen from the get-go in the ultra-smooth vibe of his opening song “When a Man Cries,” from his just released album Leon.

Next up was “Panther City,” another new one, using the city’s nickname as a nod to his childhood in Fort Worth. He even sang about going to the community center to play on a Nintendo 64 video game console, before segueing smoothly into 2015’s “Better Man” and the groovy silky bedroomy vibes of 2018’s “Shy.”

Dressed in white bell bottoms and a blue fringed jacket that may have come from a vintage store circa early Jackson Five, Bridges brought some smooth vocal gamesmanship to a wide-ranging setlist with an inherent coolness that reminded me of an even more vintage era — the rat pack’s Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr.

“I love that music brings people together that wouldn’t normally be together,” Bridges told the enthusiastic, all-ages, sold-out crowd, before launching into “Coming Home,” a beloved hit from 2015 (and the album of the same name).

You can tell an audience’s favorite song is coming when after the first notes are played, a large flicker of cell phones emerges to capture the moment, as happened many times throughout the night. The phones were particularly bright for that tender tune, as well as for 2020’s “Texas Sun,” and of course “River,” a beautiful 2015 ballad with such a timeless sound it’s hard to believe it wasn’t written generations ago.

“That’s What I Love” was another new song with a retro Marvin Gaye Motown vibe that sent the crowd swaying to the beat. “You know what else I love, Santa Barbara?” asked Bridges afterward. “I love you guys.”

The feeling was mutual. With a style that nods to both the past and a more hopeful future, Bridges has a mesmerizing charisma that holds your attention in a way that feels intimate and personal, and not at all performative. My first Leon Bridges show definitely won’t be my last.