Grizzly Bear @ Brooklyn Steel - Brooklyn
October 16th 2025: Grizzly Bear @ Brooklyn Steel - Brooklyn, NY
Grizzly Bear | Photos Courtesy of: Erika Reinsel
The indie world buzzed with quiet excitement at the news that Grizzly Bear was emerging from their hiatus for a brief run of shows – marking their first live performances in over six years. With the first two shows in Brooklyn already behind them, I joined a sold-out crowd at Brooklyn Steel for the third night of Grizzly Bear’s long-awaited return. As the crowd waited for the band to take the stage, you could hear conversations of wishlists of deep cuts and rarities they wanted to hear, with an eagerness to see if any of their long-held hopes would make the setlist.
Grizzly Bear finally took the stage, opening with ‘Southern Point’ from their 2009 album Veckatimest. Also from the 2009 album, fans were thrilled as the familiar drums of ‘Cheerleader’ kicked in, a clear sign that some long-held wishlists were coming true. Despite a few minor sound issues throughout the evening, every song remained captivating. Fans were once again treated to the flawless harmonies of Ed Droste and Daniel Rossen, Chris Taylor’s rich backing vocals, and the mesmerizing drumming of Chris Bear. Most of the evening's setlist drew from Veckatimest and 2012’s Shields. ‘Lullabye’ – off of 2006’s Yellow House, was a standout and can only be described as euphoric.
Thursday’s crowd was also the first of the run to experience Beach House’s Victoria Legrand performing with the band. As she stepped on stage to warm applause, the band launched into ‘Slow Life’ and ‘Will Calls,’ followed by what Ed Droste introduced as “the song that started it all” – ‘Two Weeks.’ Legrand’s haunting, melodic vocals added new depth to the live arrangements, elevating the familiar tracks into something more transcendent. She remained on stage for ‘Three Rings’ before the band closed the set with a soaring performance of 'Sun In Your Eyes.'
As the final notes faded, the crowd erupted – emotional, electrified, and not quite ready for the night to end.
Much to everyone’s delight, Grizzly Bear took the stage once again and the night closed with a stripped-down, acoustic rendition of 'All We Ask' for a quiet, beautiful moment that lingered. It’s safe to say fans will be hoping this return won’t be their last.
Setlist:
- Southern Point
- Alligator
- Sleeping Ute
- Cheerleader
- Yet Again
- Fine for Now
- Ready, Able
- Gun-Shy
- Half Gate
- Lullabye
- While You Wait for the Others
- Slow Life
- Will Calls
- Two Weeks
- Three Rings
- Sun in Your Eyes
Encore:
- All We Ask
(On a Neck, On a Spit was included in the set list as the encore opener, but was not played)
