Concert Reviews

Eclectic alt/art rocker St. Vincent was the latest guest at the Boston Pops, and they complemented her work perfectly.

St. Vincent with the Boston Pops at Symphony Hall, June 4, 2026.

Alternative music icon St. Vincent has added a new element to her usual funky shows: a full symphony orchestra. And at Symphony Hall on Thursday night, backed by the Boston Pops, she took us on a true melodic journey.

St. Vincent — real name Annie Clark — collaborated with conductor and composer Jules Buckley to revamp a variety of her songs with a theatrical twist by including a 60-piece orchestra. In September of 2025, St. Vincent and Buckley decided to showcase their work at the BBC Proms classical music festival in London, where they performed at Royal Albert Hall. 

After an ecstatic response, St. Vincent announced in February that she would be playing in orchestras across the United States, and released a recording of the show as LIVE IN LONDON! Even though Boston was technically her second orchestral show, it really felt like the start of something amazing.

Buckley, who conducted in the place usually held by Keith Lockhart, and the Boston Pops kicked off the show with the pure instrumental of “We Put A Pearl In the Ground” from St. Vincent’s debut studio album, Marry Me. As Buckley and the Pops faded into the next song, St. Vincent appeared at the back of the stage and politely made her way up to the microphone. The crowd started to applaud as she took a moment to bask in the warm lights that bathed the orchestra. 

For the next number, “Hell Is Near,” St. Vincent was relatively tame, but it was quickly clear how the Boston Pops elevated the proceedings by bringing another level of drama and depth to St. Vincent’s music. At the end of the song, the orchestra added a striking juxtaposition when her voice slowly tapered off and the instruments ascended, becoming louder and almost chaotic. However, the instruments and St. Vincent’s voice were also able to harmonize: Later, in “Live In The Dream,” St. Vincent’s vocals and the orchestra almost melted into one.

By the end of the third song, “Reckless” — which dives into the struggles of mourning a strong connection before it’s even gone — St. Vincent had left behind her calm demeanor. When the beat dropped, she exemplified the racing thoughts and feelings she was singing about through various movements on stage, like deep jumps and squats. When her vocals subsided, the orchestra continued to play, and she tilted her head back on stage and stood still. Almost looking stuck, it felt as if the relationship she’d been so caught up in had ended, but the music and the noise of life continued around her. I was stunned by her stage presence, and she hadn’t even broken out her guitar.

Throughout the show, St. Vincent was constantly rotating through guitars, and if you were lucky you may have gotten struck by the beam of the stage lights reflecting off her black glossy model, and felt energized by the one quick flash. (I certainly was.) The first song that showcased her guitar was “Black Rainbow.” She demonstrated her world-renowned guitar skills and impressive dexterity as the song intensified. St. Vincent began to increase in speed as the orchestra increased in volume, before both parties abruptly stopped in a glorious, dramatic finish.

A little over half way through the show, St. Vincent began to tease a shift in energy. She swayed  and looked like she was ready to pounce when performing “The Nowhere Inn.” She solidified this transition at the start of her song “Digital Witness,” when the lyrics “Get back to your seat,” came out of her mouth. She began to do a mixture of prancing and strutting across the stage while not only pointing to people in the audience, but also involving members of the orchestra, who would join in singing out the moody and iconic “yeahs” that punctuate the song.

From the audience, St. Vincent had a power to make everyone in the room feel seen at some point during the show. When she looked out into the crowd, it felt intimate, like she was solely focusing on you. 

After “Digital Witness,” Vincent and the orchestra segued into two songs from her 2017 album, MASSEDUCTION. First was “Los Ageless,” where Vincent stood on the stage with a cigarette in one hand and a microphone in the other. Throughout the song, her vocals were soft and contained a certain eeriness. One thing that stood out in the live performance was that you could fully hear the closing monologue that’s barely audible on the recorded version. It describes how in her best efforts to express love, it doesn’t seem to come out in a traditional sense.

Before jumping into the second song off of MASSEDUCTION, St. Vincent took a moment to speak to the crowd. She made sure to thank the city of Boston for “raising her” when she was just a teenager. Originally raised in Texas, Annie Clark came to Boston as a guitar major at Berklee College of Music. She then shouted out another city that was special to her, which led into the next song from MASSEDUCTION, “New York.” 

In “New York,” the lyrics reflected on how different a city can feel when someone important to you leaves it. As St. Vincent sang, she made her way down into the crowd, lipstick smudged, sporting a Boston Red Sox baseball cap. A spotlight followed her as she traveled through the sea of people at Symphony Hall. She high-fived folks in the audience and even kissed a young kid on the top of his head.

As the show came to an end, St. Vincent and Buckley left the stage but re-entered for the encore of “Candy Darling” and “Slow Disco.” As Vincent made her way to the front of the stage to start “Candy Darling,” she seemed to stumble, but quickly recovered. She performed lying on her stomach with her head propped up in her hands, and her feet crossed in the air, occasionally kicking them. 

“Slow Disco” officially wrapped up the show, and St. Vincent graced the audience with her vocals one last time. During the end of that song, Vincent closed her eyes while the orchestra continued to play. The moment felt so powerful that I wouldn’t have been surprised if St. Vincent had just started levitating above the symphony floor.

As everyone took their bows, the crowd’s appreciation bounced off the walls of Symphony Hall. Vincent and Buckley exited the stage, and the crowd was left with a moment to fully appreciate what the Boston Pops had brought to an artist clearly eager to test her limits.

Fellow Berklee alum Ruby Plume opened for Vincent with a mix of original songs and covers. Plume’s voice was soft and sweet and her lyrics were touching.

Setlist for St. Vincent with the Boston Pops at Symphony Hall, June 4, 2026

OPENING ACT: Ruby Plume

• Cobalt Blue
• Sadder Days
• Cherrypick
• Anyways
• Duel
• It Ain’t Me Babe
• Only Boxer

MAIN ACT: St. Vincent

• We Put A Pearl In the Ground 
• Hell Is Near 
• Reckless 
• Violent Times 
• Black Rainbow 
• Marrow 
• The Bed 
• Smoking Section 
• Now, Now 
• Live In The Dream 
• The Nowhere Inn 
• Digital Witness 
• Los Ageless 
• New York 
• Paris Is Burning 

ENCORES:

• Candy Darling 
• Slow Disco

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