Telling Stories, Singing with Ghosts: Christian Lee Hutson at the Music Hall of Williamsburg

“This is the first time, and probably the last time I will ever do this,” singer-songwriter Christian Lee Hutson announced at the top of his album release show at the Music Hall of Williamsburg last Monday. In honor of the drop of his third album, Paradise Pop. 10—which was released on September 27th—Hutson played the record from front to back, accompanied by a full band. 

The show attracted the kind of incongruous audience that is characteristic of Hutson’s music. On my right was a man in a button down and khakis who might’ve been at home in a Brooklyn Heights law office, and to my left were a pair of college-aged girls in baggy pants and baby tees. Hutson, with his professor-chic button-downs and collaborations with the likes of Samia and Maya Hawke, has a range of appeal—drawing fans of both 90’s folk rock and Gen Z pop.

Warm lighting and bandmate banter gave the show an intimate feel. Watching the band perform in matching Paradise Pop jackets, you might imagine you were invited to something secret and special. Between songs, Hutson made self-deprecating jokes. “We’re on song two,” he announced, “So, that means you only have to be here for eight more tracks. You can leave whenever you want, really.”

Of course, no one rushed for the exits. Between soft ballads like “Autopilot” and “After Hours,” and the album’s more upbeat tracks, the crowd was enamored. Despite the album having only been out for a weekend, many people sang along to choruses and shouted out their favorite verses. Hutson’s mesmerizing harmonies and the band’s obvious chemistry made for a show that was engaging all the way through.

The personal atmosphere intensified when Hutson brought frequent collaborator Phoebe Bridgers—who has several producing credits on Paradise Pop. 10—out to join him for “Carousel Horses” and, later, “Candyland.” Bridgers, perhaps in an effort not to draw any attention away from Hutson, appeared in a cloak throughout the performance, face hidden behind a hood. “It’s the ghost of the Music Hall of Williamsburg,” Hutson joked in a ghostly voice, “She only comes out every September thirtieth.” The duo’s beautiful harmonies and the band’s violin-forward accompaniment radiated warmth into the venue, and it felt like we were all in on some strange and wonderful joke. 

When Hutson and the band reemerged for the encore, they played Kris Kristofferson’s “Darby’s Castle” in honor of the legendary country musician who had passed that morning. “When I was growing up, I wanted to be a novelist,” Hutson admitted to the crowd, “But Kris Kristofferson was one of the first musicians I heard where I was like he’s doing it in three minutes. That’s more my speed.”

It's true. Many of Hutson’s best tracks—particularly on Paradise Pop—feel like they’re novels condensed into songs, stories boiled down to their most potent forms. Because of that and the camaraderie Hutson creates with each of his collaborators, seeing him live feels a bit like gathering around a bonfire to hear your smartest, funniest friend tell his best stories. You’ll probably laugh, you might even find yourself choking up, and you’ll certainly walk out of the venue with a few scenes playing in your head, a few characters under your skin.

Christian Lee Huston is touring throughout Europe this fall. Check out his website here for tickets.