It’s been a long road for Jessica Lea Mayfield, from her early days in a family band to her evolution as an indie rocker backed by Dan Auerbach, and now at the start of a new chapter as an artist and as a person. On this year’s Sorry is Gone, Mayfield makes a powerful statement about learning to value yourself in the aftermath of a toxic, abusive relationship. She sounds strong and self-assured on the record, and at her live show in Brooklyn last week, she brought those same vibes to the stage.
Following a positively stunning and sparse set from New Orleans opener Esther Rose, Mayfield took the stage at Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn, NY on December 1st in a rainbow stripe muumuu, her signature platinum bob looking chic and effortlessly cool. Playing for a packed room of clearly long-time fans, Mayfield had a carefree way about her, sipping red wine and talking to the crowd with a deadpan sarcasm between songs. Her set was guitar-heavy, to the point where her voice was drowned out at times. But no one seemed to mind. They just wanted to head-bang along with her to songs like “Wish You Could See Me Now”, “Bum Me Out” and “WTF”, all off the new record. Save for a short solo and duet set with her drummer Patrick Damphier, Mayfield’s performance was all loud rock and roll. Even on a softer tune like “Meadow”, she found a way to rock out.
Later songs included audience favorites from Mayfield’s past records like “I Wanna Love You” (Make My Head Sing) with its repetitive chorus that’s so easy to sing along to, and Tell Me’s “Blue Skies Again” and “Our Hearts Are Wrong”. It was a lovefest between Mayfield and her devoted listeners and when her set came to an end, neither wanted to part ways.
