Over the course of their career, Bleachers has gone from beloved underground indie rock act to selling out Madison Square Garden (though still equally beloved). Despite the size increase of the venues over the years, Bleachers has a way of making their performances feel just as intimate as they used to. This is due in part to the release of their fifth studio album, “everyone for ten minutes,” an openly honest record on loneliness and finding connection within an increasingly detached world.

With some of their most vulnerable lyricism yet, Bleachers have only strengthened their connection with their listeners.

“only my people can see me,”

a line from “dirty wedding dress,” has become a focal point of the album and this era of Bleachers, a reminder to the band and its fans of the connection that has formed between them and of the community created by the music. The tour name “Bleachers Forever” serves an additional reminder of this connection as they bring the new record to the stage. Running from May to October, the tour has nearly reached the halfway mark when it arrives in Cleveland at Jacobs Pavilion with Wednesday as support. 

The stage is set with varying levels of wooden platforms, with instruments, 8 tracks, and wires spilling over the checkered floor; it feels as though Bleachers has brought their studio to the stage. Jacobs Pavilion is set directly on the bank of the Cuyahoga River, lending the Cleveland skyline to the stage’s backdrop. A handful of kayaks and boats are slowly floating by to listen in. Taking place on the eve of the summer solstice, it is still light out when Bleachers takes the stage in the evening, the setting sun draping the audience in a warm glow. The six piece band, consisting of frontman Jack Antonoff, Evan Smith (saxophone/keys), Mikey Hart (bass, keys), Sean Hutchinson (drums/percussion), Mike Riddleberger (drums/percussion), and Zem Audu (saxophone/guitar), begin their set to album opener “sideways.” A sonically beautiful track of layered synths, the song begins softly before taking off, the band coming to life as Antonoff towers over them on a platform overlooking everything. From there, the set only continues to climb in energy as Antonoff comes back to the ground armed with a harmonica for “the van.”

The show was filled with moments for new and old fans alike, new tracks and Bleachers classics equally filling the setlist. A fan was welcomed onstage to play guitar during “Chinatown,” blending in with the band rather seamlessly before being instructed by Antonoff to stage dive back into the crowd. As always, fans climbed on each other’s shoulders during “Rollercoaster,” a Bleachers show tradition “for the song that started it all.” There was a particularly emotional connective moment during “you and forever,” when Antonoff stood on the step of the barricade to grab hands with the crowd to sing the bridge:

“For crying out loud, I was crying out for a savior/No Jesus Christ, no Roman gods, they cower at you, let me in.”

The words are sung with a cathartic fervor as the crowd responds with equal passion. Bleachers lyrics often pack an emotional punch, and their live delivery carries an urgency that increases it tenfold.  Despite the emotions carried in their music – whether sorrow, anger, cynicism, melancholy – Bleachers have turned them around to create something joyful, a cathartic release of feelings brought on by surrounding themselves in a like-minded community, “their people.”

While their studio production is certainly nothing to scoff at (Antonoff is 37-times Grammy nominated after all), their live production is where the music truly shines. With two drummers and dual saxophonists, the layers of instrumentals are brought to the forefront, providing a beautiful depth to their sound. The band’s joy is evident on the stage, treating every set with an enthusiasm and energy that is infectious. Between the location and the music, this set was nothing short of cinematic and life-affirming.

Bleachers will continue to tour the US through October.