Bleachers gave their Los Angeles crowd a surprise worth remembering Thursday night when Carly Rae Jepsen joined Jack Antonoff onstage at the Troubadour for a special acoustic performance of “I Wanna Get Better.” The appearance came during the first night of Bleachers’ five-show run at the legendary West Hollywood venue. According to Stereogum, Jepsen came out during the set and teamed up with Antonoff for an acoustic take on the band’s 2014 breakthrough single.
According to Stereogum, fans familiar with the musical history between Antonoff and Jepsen, the pairing made plenty of sense. Jepsen has collaborated with Antonoff and Bleachers dating back years, including appearances on Bleachers material and the band’s 2017 MTV Unplugged performance. Still, hearing the two artists strip “I Wanna Get Better” down to its essentials gave the song a different feel. The original is one of Bleachers’ biggest, most energetic songs, built around its instantly recognizable chorus and Antonoff’s larger-than-life production style.
Jack Antonoff @BleachersMusic brought out @CarlyRaeJepsen last night as a special guest at their concert in Los Angeles
— They sung an acoustic version of ‘I Wanna Get Better’ https://t.co/zo1Cqw1Ckk
— Carly Rae Jepsen Wiki (@carlyraewiki) September 11, 2026
And, naturally, the Troubadour setting added another layer to the moment. The intimate Los Angeles club is one of the city’s most storied venues, making a surprise collaboration between two longtime friends and collaborators feel particularly fitting. The surprise appearance also arrives as Bleachers continue a busy year. The band released its fifth album, everyone for ten minutes, in May, while a new Bleachers song, “Caught Myself Believing,” has just arrived on the soundtrack to Practical Magic 2. Antonoff described making the song as an “absolute joy” and said he was happy the band could play a small part in the sequel.
For a song called “I Wanna Get Better,” the performance also seemed to capture something that has always worked about Bleachers: taking a deeply personal song and turning it into a communal experience. In the middle of a sold-out run at one of Los Angeles’ most famous clubs, Antonoff and Jepsen gave the audience a quieter version of a song fans have been singing along to for more than a decade.
Photo Credit: Colin Hancock
