Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft – The Tour Live in 3D

Grade: B

Before Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft – The Tour Live in 3D, the only other time I’d seen Eilish perform was at the Oscars a few years ago. It wasn’t the greatest representation of her ability. She sang a ballad at the very bottom of her range, and I was wishing the number had been boosted up a few keys. I’m sure it was an intentional choice, but that’s what happened to be my first impression. I’m glad I didn’t pass on this part concert film, part documentary. It’s a worthy bookend to Baz Luhrmann’s EPiC, out earlier this year – and I liked it just as much. James Cameron took a break from the tall blue swimming creatures to co-direct this with Eilish, and it’s the best thing he’s done in decades.

My bathroom break took place during a song. I was more interested in the behind the scenes business in between the numbers. Footage and interviews from the fans paint an unambiguous picture of the power of Billie’s music. It has made people feel seen, safe, and even saved them in some cases. Audience reaction shots show spectators crying and screaming like they’re seeing The Beatles. I admired much about Billie’s attitude, personally. She’s never been interested in showing off her body with revealing outfits. It’s all about the music and the show, as she wears a yellow, white, and blue jersey on stage. She is fun to watch, and her show is a spectacle. The 3D is definitely justified. You feel like you’re there, and it would be so ordinary and bland without that third D.

The music isn’t bad, but if I never heard most of the songs again, I’d be ok – except for one. I liked one song late in the set, where she shared the stage with Finneas, and played electric guitar. It’s in the key of C, and is a slow rocker with a sexy, sultry tempo in 6/8. I couldn’t find it in my research. YouTube probably thinks I suddenly became a Billie Eilish fanatic with all my searches, and may start suggesting a bunch of stuff based on that.

The movie assumes we already know who Finneas is. I didn’t, so I was in for a nice surprise. While playing a ballad on the keyboard, she is joined mid-song by a tall, stubble-faced, easy on the eyes Kurt Cobain type. “Ladies and gentlemen, my brother, Finneas!” She plays the guitar, too. She doesn’t use a pick, and strums mostly with her thumb, yet the chords we hear could only have come from a pick. Somebody in the band is doubling what she’s playing. I can’t credit the background musicians enough.

Granted, we only see what they choose to show us, but we don’t hear from the band members, or get a sense of what – if any – camaraderie they may have with Billie. They get a quick roll call introduction, but otherwise, these super-talented singers/multi-instrumentalists are literally kept in the trenches like second-class citizens. As gifted and dynamic a performer as Billie is, these unsung heroes are down there in the sunken squares of the stage enhancing her sound and making her look good. It would not be the show that it is without them. 

It reminded me how much I value BANDS – the kind that are like a family. I saw Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band earlier this month. I’m seeing Dave Matthews Band in a couple days. One thing I appreciate about them is that even though the frontman is the person everyone’s there to see, at the end of the night, they become equal as they all leave their instruments and take center stage to bow together. Even Paul McCartney’s touring group, that have been with him since 2001, feels like a true ensemble. I was missing that here, with The Billie Show. She admits as much in the movie, saying she wants a relationship with the audience, so she doesn’t have “too many people on my stage.”

It’s par for the course with a situation like this. My words above were not meant as a rant or criticism, but an observation I had, that I found worth noting. It might be one of the reasons I prefer Springsteen, Matthews, McCartney, Billy Joel, and the like. I don’t fault her, and I look forward to seeing her progression. She’s acting like any of us would if we had 10 Grammys, 2 Oscars, and all that fame and money at age 24. Her love and devotion to the fans is palpable and laudable. Hit Me Hard and Soft looks great, sounds great, and my toe was consistently tapping. Billie is a wonderful talent with a creative, dynamic stage show. It was a pleasure to get to know her a little bit.

Grade: B