Concert Review and Photos: Indigo Girls and Rhode Island Philharmonic outstanding at PPAC

Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, the duo better known as the Indigo Girls, are often mentioned in the same breath as Simon and Garfunkel, Hall and Oates, and the Everly Brothers. Ranked among the best musical duos of all time, their songs have charted on the Billboard Top 40 in every decade since the 1980s. In 2023, they saw renewed attention when their song “Closer to Fine” popped up in the Barbie movie.

On top of celebrating the success of the top-grossing summer blockbuster, another film, Glitter and Doom, an offbeat rom-com based on their songs, was recently released. And there’s more… from the “good things come in three’s” department, It’s Only Life After All, a new documentary about the band, is being released next month.

Meanwhile, Saturday’s show at the Providence Performing Arts Center was a lovefest—between the band, their fans, and Rhode Island’s premier orchestra, which was well up to the task of supporting the Grammy-winning duo. The Indigo Girls are best known for making connections with fans … and in a career-reviving moment, it was evident there were a lot of new fans at the PPAC concert Saturday night, kids and teens who perhaps discovered the band through Barbie.

How do their celebrated harmonies translate to the full symphony treatment? Beautifully! Backed by the Philharmonic, the show, highlighting their emotive vocals, powerful lyrics, and strong arrangements, was magnificent. The singers seemed genuinely touched by the adoring fan reaction.

The Philharmonic Pops Orchestra, behind conductor Troy Quinn, was strong all night, and fans were singing along to every song. Standouts included “Power of Two,” “Ghost,” “Kid Fear” and a rousing “Galileo,” which closed out the opening set. Needless to say, the show finale “Closer to Fine,” was a hit, with the audience jubilantly singing along.

Technically, the show was “close to fine,” with an orchestra miscue or two met by smiles all around, a moment that has come to be almost expected in these situations, always bringing some levity and applause from the audience.

Speaking of the audience, it’s great to see new fans discover the Indigo Girls, who you may recall were basically the house band at the Newport Folk Festival during the late 1980s and 1990s. Openly gay in that era, Amy Ray and Emily Saliers were courageous trailblazers, and there’s no doubt that bands like BoyGenius and artists like Brandi Carlile would not be where they are today, winning countless Grammy awards and critical acclaim, without the Indigo Girls.

Check out some photos of the evening from Lifestyle Editor Ken Abrams.